Indus Valley Times

By Nalini Sahu

BHUBANESWAR, MARCH 20 : Three students of Centurion University, Bhubaneswar, have developed a unique device that will save elephants from fatal accidents while crossing railway tracks in forest areas.

Guided by Professor Sujata Chakraborty, three students — Payal Bhadra, Abhijit Balabantray and Sujit Sahoo — have developed the gadget. With the unique gadget, the loco pilot can evade train mishaps by taking necessary initiative after getting signal on movement of elephants from a distance of 300 meters on railway tracks.

According to reports, the trio had started developing the device in December 2019. The gadget was showcased at an event organised by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, on March 16, 2020. The process to get a patent from the country’s premier institution is in its final stage, an official of Centurion University said.

As many as 49 elephants have been killed in different train mishaps in the past four years in the country.

“The elephants never change their path through which they move in search of food. The construction of a railway track cannot hinder the pachyderms and they continue moving on the same path. Although there is instruction from the Railway ministry to slow the train speed on railway tracks built in forest areas, the loco pilots at a time fail to get information about movement of elephants on the route for which many elephants have been mowed down on tracks in the past,” said Abhijit Balabantray.

Giving an instance, he said that at least six elephants were killed by a speeding train in November 2013 while crossing the railway tracks inside Chapramari wildlife sanctuary, around 18km from Banarhat area in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.

According to the project prepared by three students, there will be three sensors in three security zones 100 meters away from the railway crossing zone. The third zone, which is 300 meters away, will have an AI sensor developed by them. The sensor will detect the elephant and light it accordingly. In the second zone, i.e. the 200-meter zone, there will be another type of IR sensor, with a different type of red light and buzzer at a distance of 100 meters. The buzzer has been developed in such a manner that only the elephant can hear it and be on alert.

The Peugeot Electric sensors will be installed on both sides of the railway track. The loco pilot can prevent the accidents, 200 meters away from the site, the official informed.