Lion run over by Pipavav Port goods train again!

Junagadh, 11 May, 2014

It has happened once again. In a tragic incident, one lion cub was run over by goods train near Pipavav Port in Rajuka taluka of Amreli district.

The incident took place near Bherai village. This is fourth such incident this year.

Forest department is helpless, as it has no power to stop railway traffic. Moreover the railway line is located outside the sanctuary or forest area. In the past, forest department held training workshop for railway staff. Also the Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited(PRCL) was asked to reduce the speed of the goods trains from Rajula to Pipavav, the area where more than or around 50 lions live permanently for the past few years. PRCL is the 50:50 joint venture company of the Indian Railways and the Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd (GPPL), which was set up for the 271-km-long line connecting the port of Pipavav to Surendranagar

Every time when lion is killed by Pipavav port’s train, Forest department files FIR against the driver. In the past during the interrogation, the driver of the train said that even if he had applied sudden brakes, the trains would have skidded nearly 10 meters, thus killing the lions. The forest officers however said that the driver did not apply the sudden but instead applied the normal brake.

Editor’s note:

Some creative solutions to this menace:

-Fix additional mega focus lights on engine in such a way that engine driver can watch more than just tracks. Wider vision will help him to look beyond the tracks.

-Do sensitize the engine drivers. Just one day training workshop was not enough. Hold a longer residential workshop. Make them wild life lovers.

-Deploy specially trained forest department staffer in Pipavav port train engines to keep vigil.

-Enforce speed limit restrictions. Carry out surprise checking to ensure proper execution. Book driver, higher staff if speed limit restrictions are not obeyed.

-Go to High Court seeking ban on railway movement in night hours in Rajula-Pipavav belt. This will create pressure on careless operators.