Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: Worried over the frequent elephant deaths on railway tracks, Odisha government is soon going to replicate the ‘plan bee’ to keep the jumbos off the tracks.

As the name suggest, loudspeakers playing the humming sound of bees will be used near the tracks to keep the elephants away from the threat of speeding trains. The project will be introduced on a pilot basis at Sadashivpur Railway Station in Dhenkanal, informed Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Sudarshan Panda after a joint meeting between the Forest department, Railways and Energy department officials held today.

“Apart from installation of special devices, efforts are also on to install solar fencing at several parts in the State,” said Panda.

Official sources said special devices will be installed near tracks and the equipment will emit the ‘buzzing’ sound of swarming bees which are considered as the natural nemesis of elephants. Through loudspeakers the sound of bees will be transmitted near railway tracks prior to passage of trains.

It is pertinent to mention here that the railways had introduced the 'plan bee' at several other parts of the country in November last year. The innovative method to prevent elephants from approaching the railway tracks was quite successful as it played a crucial role in saving elephants from train accidents to a great extent.

Panda further informed that the Energy department and other companies have been asked to rectify 11 KV lines passing through various elephant corridors as 14 elephants have died due to electrocution in Odisha this year.

scrollToTop