Immediate solutions from a committee representing all relevant sectors
Authorities from all sectors are ready to immediately go to the relevant location and find solutions
Following the recent death of six wild elephants in a train collision near milepost 141 between Galoya and Hingurakgoda, a meeting was held at the Parliamentary complex, attended by senior officials from the Ministries of Transport, Environment, and Digital Technology, the Railway Department, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and other relevant institutions, as well as various environmental and wildlife conservation organizations, according to reports. This special committee made several decisions after extensive discussions.
“Latest decisions of the Railway Department and the government regarding elephant accidents”
Accordingly, the decisions made by this special committee include:
Clearing vegetation along both sides of the railway track in this area, where elephant accidents are frequent, to improve visibility, Utilizing digital and other new technological methods, Directly engaging community-based groups to resolve this issue, installing train lighting systems that project light forward and to both sides, and considering the use of white light instead of yellow light.
Furthermore, the second phase of this discussion was scheduled for today, Saturday (22nd), where all the aforementioned parties would visit the site of these accidents for a comprehensive inspection and prepare to implement relevant decisions and any further considerations.
Those who participated in this special discussion included: Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Environment, Dhammika Pathabandhi, Deputy Minister of Environment, Deputy Minister of housing T.B. Sarath and Members of Parliament from the Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura districts, Chief officials from all the aforementioned institutions.
