Assam to set up Jt coordination panel of forest dept, railways

On account of rising death of elephants by moving trains, Assam government today decided to set up a joint coordination committee comprising the Forest Department and Railways to avoid such incidents in future.
Only the day before, three elephants were killed by a speeding train engine in Nagaon district, following which state Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma directed her department to file an FIR against the Railways.
"A joint coordination committee involving the Forest department and the Railways under the leadership of respective Sub-Divisional Officers and Circle Officers will be constituted for monitoring the joint activities of the Forest Department and Railways," an official release said.

The committee will look after joint survey of railway tracks, cleaning of jungles, streamlining of slopes near tracks and installation of signage at vulnerable points with emergency contact number among others, it added.
The decision was taken at a meeting held today between Forest Department and North-east Frontier Railway, chaired by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Expressing concern over high number of elephant deaths in accidents by speeding train in recent days in the state, Sonowal directed the Forest Department and NF Railway to improve communication and coordination to control such incidents.
He also directed the Forest and Railway officials to visit across all the vulnerable railway tracks immediately so that all future casualties can be stopped.

With a view to share real time information from the ground to Railway Control Room, the Chief Minister directed to immediately constitute local level Monitoring Committee involving the people living in adjoining areas of the track.