The country’s railways has started installing thermal-sensing cameras on locomotive engines to help prevent elephants from being struck by trains, the Department of Railways said.
A high-level committee appointed to implement practical measures to reduce wildlife-related rail accidents recommended the camera system, the department said.
Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi and Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake lead the committee.
Sri Lanka Railways is also adjusting train timetables on locomotives operating on routes where elephants frequently cross or roam near the tracks, the railway department said.
Authorities installed the first camera systems on Wednesday at the Dematagoda Railway Yard in Colombo and will conduct performance tests over the next week to assess how effectively the cameras detect elephants ahead of moving trains, the railways department said. — Xinhua
