Administration mum over death line of Dudhwa National Park

Lakhimpur, Kheri, Sep 30 (UNI) Several animals, including protected animal tiger, have fallen prey to train running on Gonda-Mailani railway line, which passes through the Dudhwa National Park.

A tiger was crushed to death after being run over by a speeding train in Tiger reserve area of Katarniya ghat on Friday.

Apart from this, many animals at the national park had been run over by trains in the past few years.

Three elephants were crushed by a running train, whereas one sustained serious injuries in the first week of June, 2003.

The accident grabbed attention of both commonman and administration and questions were raised over the decision of allowing trains passing the route, however, with time the news faded.

On February 2005, a train claimed life of a tiger at Katarniya ghat and no sooner, a cub came under the deadly jaws. In May, two cubs were found dead on the tracks.

Similarly, in 2006, a leopard, cheetah and tiger were killed after being hit by a train. but teeth and jaw nails were missing, when the bodies of the tigers were recovered by the forest officials.

Ironically, the Central government spends Rs 15 lakh to save the endangered species but the number of tigers were plummeting with every passing day.

The officials appointed for the security of the national park had arrested many pouchers and seized animal skins and teeths from their possession.

Besides, they had also seized a haul of wood from a goods train on Gonda-Mailani rail track. The consignment was estimated at Rs 15 crore, which was the biggest seizure in the history by the forest department.

The forest official had already apprised about the death line (Gonda-Mailani rail track) of the national park to the railway ministry.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had requested the Central government to remove the track passing Dudhwa park, besides several NGOs had also knocked the doors of the government for the same, however, nothing was done.

UNI PDM LPB BST1414