Odisha: ‘Honey bee’ device to protect elephants from getting hit on rail tracks  

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of frequent elephant deaths reported in Odisha in the recent past, the State government has fastened its belt to protect the wildlife.

At a meeting held between the Forest, Energy and Railway authorities today, it was decided to install special ‘honey bee’ machines alongside railway tracks to prevent elephants getting hit by trains.

When any train comes, the machines would produce and amplify the sound of swarming bees, hearing which elephants would run away. Elephants usually avoid bees so as to avoid the risk of bees entering their trunks.

The project will first be launched at Sadashivpur railway station in Dhenkanal district on a pilot basis, said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sudarshan Panda after the meeting.

Divisional Forest officers (DFOs) of Jharsuguda, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts have been directed to identify locations for the project, he added.

Besides, a mobile application will also be developed to keep a tab on movement of pachyderms. The mobile app will give information on presence of elephants as well as snapping of electric wires, said an official.