People For Animals Block Railway Tracks

Guwahati, Mar 3 : People for Animals, Assam unit today blocked railway tracks in the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section demanding the removal of tracks from elephant corridors near World Heritage wetland site--Deepor Beel.

PFA Chairperson Sangeeta Goswami told reporters that they have submitted a memorandum to North Eastern Frontier Railway demanding removal of the tracks as speeding trains runover elephants.

''The construction of the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section through the wetland was done without giving due consideration to the wildlife which are regularly mowed down by speeding trains'', she said.

The NF railway has to find an alternative route which does not affect the animals and ''our movement will continue till this step is taken''.

The blocking of the railway tracks delayed the movement of trains including Guwahati-Gandhidham Express for more than two hours.

A full-grown female wild elephant was killed on the spot by a goods train near the Deepor Beel when she had come down the hill along with the herd to drink water on Sunday while another was hit by a train in the same area last year.