Colombo, Sri Lanka – In a significant move to protect Sri Lanka’s dwindling wild elephant population, the Department of Wildlife Conservation has launched a new action plan to reduce the number of elephants being struck and killed by trains.
This collaborative initiative includes the Ministry of Environment, the Department of Railways, the Department of Forest Conservation, and the Central Environmental Authority. The comprehensive plan targets seven critical zones—particularly the mountainous stretches between Galoya and Hingurakgoda Railway Stations—where elephant-train collisions have been most frequent.
Key measures in the plan include:
- Clearing Debris & Undergrowth: Removing debris and underbrush up to 10–20 meters on both sides of the railway to improve visibility for train operators.
- Infrastructure Upgrades: Installing solar-powered LED lights along tracks, filling gaps between sleepers with concrete stones over a 20 km stretch to aid elephant crossings, and erecting LED panels for speed management.
- Awareness Programs: Training and sensitization programs for train drivers, engineers, station masters, and assistant drivers to help prevent accidents.
- Water Management: Sealing tube wells and redirecting water sources through pipelines under the railway track to reduce elephant crossings in hazardous zones. Water holes and tanks will also be constructed in safer forest areas.
- Driver Welfare: Enhancing facilities for train drivers on the Eastern Railway to improve their working conditions and attentiveness.
Yesterday, officials—including the General Manager and Additional General Manager of Railways, as well as the Assistant Director of the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Zone—conducted a field visit from Palugaswewa to Punani via railway trolley. They observed the beginning of forest clearing, updated speed signage, and other early-stage implementations of the action plan.
This new initiative reflects Sri Lanka’s increasing commitment to finding sustainable solutions to human-wildlife conflict while preserving its iconic elephant population.
