MoEFCC Holds Workshop in Uttarakhand to Prevent Elephant–Train Collisions

• 14 Mar 2026

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized a national workshop titled “Policy Implementation for Minimizing Elephant Mortalities on Railway Tracks” at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun to strengthen strategies for preventing elephant deaths in railway accidents. 

Key Points: 

• Workshop: The workshop was held in March 2026 at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun to discuss policy implementation and mitigation measures. 
• Elephant Habitat & Challenges:  India hosts over 60% of the global Asian elephant population, but habitat fragmentation and expanding railways have increased elephant deaths in states like Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. 
  • The workshop identified 110 sensitive railway stretches across elephant habitats for mitigation, and 77 critical stretches covering 1,965.2 km were prioritized for implementation of safety measures.  
• Mitigation Structures: A total of 705 mitigation structures were recommended, including ramps and level crossings, bridge extensions, fences or trenching structures, exit ramps, underpasses, and overpasses — designed to facilitate safe passage for elephants across rail networks. 
• Technology Interventions: Innovative solutions such as Distributed Acoustic System (DAS)‑based Intrusion Detection Systems and AI‑based early warning systems are being tested to detect elephant movement near tracks and alert authorities to prevent collisions.  
• Strategy: The workshop stressed joint planning between railways, forest departments and scientific institutions, sharing best practices like early warning systems, GIS monitoring, and community‑based alert networks to improve safety and reduce wildlife mortality. 

Read More: AI, Early warning systems, GIS