Forest dept, Railways fix SOP for lion safety against trains; AI use on cards

Junagadh: The Gujarat Forest Department and Railways have fixed a Standard Operating Procedure(SOP) for the safety of Lions against moving trains.

The departments have identified high lion movement areas around railway tracks and decided to reduce train speeds in these areas. Trackers from both departments will monitor these zones to ensure lion safety.

The SOP includes reducing train speeds to 30 km/h at nine identified locations. The train is scheduled to operate between 4 AM to 7 AM, 6 PM and 9 PM during summer, and 4 AM to 8 AM, 5 PM to 8 PM during winter. If a lion is spotted on any of these tracks, it will be reported to both the Forest Department and the Railway Department.

The departments will also use AI technology to alert when a lion is near railway tracks. This system will inform control rooms and alert railway staff and trackers to move the lions away. The tendering process for implementing AI is underway.

Three committees are also formed in this connection. These actions are being taken after the directives of the Gujarat High Court. DeshGujarat