Sri Lanka’s Railway Department conducted an inspection of the CCTV camera system installed along key railway routes to prevent wild elephants from colliding with trains.
Railway General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara, along with senior officials from the department, participated in the inspection tour conducted yesterday (10 Aug).
This camera system was set up about two months ago near the Abanpola–Kasikote railway tunnel, where elephants often cross, as well as in areas like Gal Oya and Minneriya, which are known for frequent elephant-train collisions.
The system operates 24 hours a day and is powered by solar panels.
Based on the footage captured by the cameras, a GPS-based alert system has been implemented to send signals to the main railway operations centre in Anuradhapura when elephants are detected near the tracks.
Train drivers are then notified in real-time about elephant presence on the tracks, allowing them to take precautionary measures.
During the visit, Railway General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara stated that installing a single camera costs approximately Rs. 20,000.
He added that if donors are willing to contribute, the department could expand the system by installing more cameras in areas with high elephant activity along railway lines. (Newswire)