A new technology-based system aimed at preventing wild elephants from being hit by trains will be introduced as a pilot project at 13 high-risk locations from next month.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project was signed under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

According to a statement issued by the President’s Media Division, the project is being implemented as a public-private partnership under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, with the Railway Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation Department working together.

The project is being funded entirely by People’s Bank. The detection system uses three-beam detection technology, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, automatic temperature sensors and a tamper alarm system to detect animals weighing more than 20 kilogrammes and identify unauthorised interference.

Signal lights in red, yellow and green installed on both sides of the railway tracks, together with a special display inside the locomotive cab, will alert train drivers in advance to the precise location of an elephant.

A demonstration of the system was successfully conducted at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the presence of relevant officials, following which a report on the system was prepared.

The pilot project will initially be implemented at 13 locations where wild elephant-train collisions are frequently reported.

Meanwhile, a newly developed website, “slps.lk,” is also scheduled to be launched, allowing the progress of the project to be monitored live, the President’s Media Division said.

Additional General Manager of Railways P.D.S.B. Chandrasena, Director General of Wildlife Conservation M.S.L.R.P. Marasinghe, Conservator General of Forests S.C. Palamakuumbura and Chairman of People’s Bank Chandana Guniyangoda signed the MoU. Officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, including Presidential Additional Secretary (Clean Sri Lanka) Engineer S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, as well as senior officials from the Railway Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Conservation Department and People’s Bank, were also present.

--PMD--