Ranchi- Frequent movement of wild elephants has continued to disrupt rail and road traffic in several parts of Jharkhand, causing inconvenience to commuters and prompting heightened safety measures.
Railway authorities said repeated elephant crossings on the Manoharapur–Jharsuguda rail section under the Chakradharpur railway division have resulted in the cancellation of 18 local passenger trains for four days, from December 25 to December 28.
The cancelled services include several MEMU trains such as Tatanagar–Rourkela–Tatanagar, Chakradharpur–Rourkela–Chakradharpur, Tata–Barbil–Tata, Tata–Gua–Tata, Tata–Chakradharpur–Tata, and Tata–Kharagpur–Tata, among others. Daily commuters, especially passengers travelling to and from smaller stations, have been the worst affected.
In a parallel development, the Chakradharpur railway division recently demonstrated strong commitment to wildlife safety. A herd of 22 elephants was seen crossing the railway tracks between Bisra and Bandamunda Cabin ‘A’ on the Howrah–Mumbai main line. Railway officials halted 12 long-distance trains as a precautionary step to avoid any accident.
The action was taken amid increased vigilance following the death of seven elephants in Assam on December 20, when a herd was struck by the Rajdhani Express. The timely intervention in Jharkhand prevented a mishap, and the Wildlife Trust of India later honoured the Chakradharpur division for its efforts.
Elephant movement also affected road traffic on National Highway-33, connecting Ranchi and Ramgarh. On Wednesday evening, a herd of 18 elephants appeared near the highway, leading to panic among motorists. Authorities temporarily stopped vehicles from both sides, suspending traffic for nearly an hour until forest officials safely guided the elephants back into the forest.
Officials warned that the situation remains critical, noting that six people have lost their lives in elephant attacks in Jharkhand over the past week.
With inputs from IANS