MoEFCC‑Railways Workshop Charts 705 Mitigation Structures to Cut Elephant‑Train Collisions on 77 Priority Stretches The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ( MoEFCC ) , in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India ( WII ) and the Ministry of Railways, organised a two‑day national workshop on 10‑11 March 2026 at WII, Dehradun. Forty senior officials from Project Elephant Division, railway zones, and forest departments of elephant‑range states participated. Key Developments Identification of 110 wildlife‑sensitive railway stretches in elephant ranges and 17 in tiger‑range states. Prioritisation of 77 stretches (1,965.2 km) across 14 states for immediate mitigation. Recommendation of 705 mitigation structures – 503 ramps/level crossings, 72 bridge modifications, 39 fences/trenches, 4 exit ramps, 65 new underpasses and 22 overpasses. Deployment of DAS‑based IDS on 64.03 km of elephant corridors in North East Frontier Railway and replication in North Bengal and Odisha. Installation of an AI‑based early‑warning system at Madukkarai, Tamil Nadu, with 12 tower‑mounted cameras. Elevating a 3.5‑km section of the Azara‑Kamakhya line in Assam to allow safe crossing of the elephant corridor . Important Facts India hosts over 60 % of the global Asian elephant population , with habitats in the east, northeast, south and central zones. Railway expansion has intensified mortalities in Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Joint field surveys covered 127 railway stretches (3,452.4 km) , leading to the selection of the 77 priority stretches based on wildlife movement patterns and mortality risk. Examples of wildlife‑friendly infrastructure in new projects include the Gevra‑Pendra line through the Achanakmar‑Amarkantak corridor, the Darekasa‑Salekasa tripling in Maharashtra, and the Wadsa‑Gadchiroli line intersecting the Kanha‑Navegaon‑Tadoba‑Indravati tiger corridor. UPSC Relevance The workshop illustrates the intersection of Project Elephant with transport policy, highlighting the need for coordinated inter‑ministerial action – a recurring theme in GS III (Environment) and GS II (Polity). Understanding mitigation structures and emerging technologies like DAS‑based IDS is crucial for answering questions on wildlife conservation, sustainable infrastructure, and climate‑responsive development. Way Forward Implement the 705 recommended structures on the 77 priority stretches within the next fiscal year. Scale up AI‑based early‑warning systems across all identified corridors. Standardise protocols for risk assessment, data sharing, and rapid response among railways, forest departments and research institutes. Promote community‑based monitoring and real‑time GIS dashboards to track wildlife movements and collision hotspots. Integrate wildlife‑friendly design in all future railway expansions, ensuring that new lines respect existing elephant corridors . By institutionalising science‑driven mitigation, the government aims to curb elephant mortalities, preserve biodiversity, and set a precedent for balancing development with ecological stewardship.