NFR to test night vision cameras in Alipurduar elephant corridor

[dadeechi]

NFR to test night vision cameras in Alipurduar elephant corridor

IANS

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) To help drivers spot elephants and avoid accidents, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR)'s Alipurduar Division in West Bengal will soon begin field trials of night vision cameras installed in locomotives, an official said on Saturday.



"The division has undertaken a project for installation of night vision cameras in the locomotives in collaboration with Defence Research and Developments Organisation's (DRDO) laboratory at Dehradun.

"A prototype has been developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Soon, field trials would be conducted on these night vision cameras," said NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma.

If the trials are successful, these cameras will greatly help locomotive drivers in spotting elephants, especially in Alipurduar-New Mal Junction-Siliguri section of the division, he said.

The rail route passes through several wildlife sanctuaries such as Mahananda Widlife Sanctuary, Buxa Tiger Reserve and Chapramari wildlife sanctuary - and witnesses frequent deaths of jumbos due to collision with speeding trains.

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Railways already has taken a lot of measures to avoid harm to Elephants in areas where Railway lines across Elephant habitat.

Fencing and speed restrictions are already in place at several sections. Apart from this warning signs at potential locations where Elephants cross tracks frequently are also in place. Patrolling by railway police and wild life guards
is also done to warn LPs.

As a result of these measures, not a single elephant casualty has occurred in last 6 years at Rajaji national park.
INNOVATIVE MEASURES ON SAFETY BY ALIPURDUAR DIVISION

During the last one year, Alipurduar Division of N. F. Railway has made safety of passengers one of its primary goals and executed several planned works with steady focus on eliminating threats to safety.

To avoid accidents at elephant corridors, several measures have already been taken including speed restrictions on trains, training of locomotive drivers and coordination with Forest Departments for receiving early warning on movements of elephants etc. To bolster the efforts, the division has also undertaken a project for installation of Night Vision Cameras in the locomotives in collaboration with Defence Research and Developments Organizations (DRDO) laboratory at Dehradun. A prototype has been developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Soon, field trials would be conducted on these night vision cameras. If the trials becomes successful, these cameras will greatly help locomotive drivers in spotting elephants, especially in Alipurduar – New Mal Junction – Siliguri section of the division.

Unmanned level crossing happens to be one of the major areas where accidents take place. During last one year, the division has sent out about fifteen thousand SMSs to road users informing them about the precautions to be taken while crossing an unmanned level crossing. This has created awareness among public and helped in reducing accidents in unmanned level crossings. The division has now planned to continue such campaign for sustaining its effectiveness.

During the last one year, the division has closed 12 level crossing gates and in lieu of these provided eight Low Height Subways. The division has also manned one unmanned level crossing. The division has been working hard to realize the announced goal of eliminating all level crossings in Indian Railways in a phased manner.

Besides these initiatives, the division has also conducted 28 safety drives during the last one year and organized 81 Safety Seminars to make frontline staff, road users and general public aware of the necessary safety precautions to be taken within railway working areas.

To make plan for the coming year, the division has conducted the annual level crossing survey to gauge the density of traffic at each level crossing within the division. The density of traffic is a parameter that guides the railways to decide on closure, manning and construction of road-over-bridge at level crossings.

After all Railways mascot is Bholu the Elephant and i'm sure Railways would go any distance to keep it Safe