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The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department is preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) with the National Highways Authority of India and Indian Railways to prevent wildlife fatalities on transport routes cutting through forests. Recent incidents, including a cheetah hit by a vehicle in Gwalior and multiple tiger deaths on railway tracks near Ratapani Tiger Reserve, highlighted gaps in current safety measures. The SOP will set enforceable protocols covering speed limits, monitoring, and mitigation measures such as underpasses, overpasses, fencing, and sensor-based alerts to protect wildlife and improve coordination across agencies.
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department is coordinating with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Indian Railways to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for highways and railway lines passing through forested areas. This initiative follows multiple wildlife fatalities, including the death of a cheetah in a road accident near Gwalior and several tiger deaths on railway tracks. The department aims to replace ad hoc responses with clear, enforceable protocols on speed regulation, monitoring, coordination, and accountability in wildlife-sensitive zones. Advertisement
Officials noted that the loss of even a single cheetah is significant due to ongoing reintroduction efforts, and repeated tiger deaths point to systemic gaps that need urgent attention. The urgency increased after an adult male tiger was killed by a train on the Barkheda Budhni railway stretch near Bhopal, within the Ratapani Tiger Reserve. Forest teams discovered the carcass during fieldwork for the All-India Tiger Estimation 2026. The tiger appeared to have been dragged several metres, indicating high speed and lack of braking.
The Barkheda Budhni line has recorded 18 tiger and leopard deaths in the past decade. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of tiger fatalities in the country in 2025, totaling 56. In July 2024, three tiger cubs were struck by a train on the Budhni Midghat line, killing one and critically injuring two others. Officials had considered actions such as seizing the train involved, referencing a 2020 Assam case where a locomotive was impounded after killing an elephant.
Internal correspondence shows the danger had been raised earlier. In March 2025, the Chief Wildlife Warden warned the state forest secretary about persistent non-compliance by Indian Railways with conditions imposed for the approval of the third rail line between Barkheda and Budhni. Reports indicated trains were exceeding the prescribed 60 kmph limit, with freight trains at 65 kmph and passenger trains at 75 kmph. Required mitigation measures such as 30-metre animal passages every kilometre, wildlife overpasses, fencing, vegetation clearance, and garbage removal were incomplete or missing.
To address these issues, the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) in Jabalpur has been tasked with preparing a special mitigation plan for railway tracks passing through Ratapani and Satpura Tiger Reserves. The plan will involve mapping animal movements, identifying high-risk zones, and proposing site-specific solutions, including underpasses, overpasses, fencing, sensor-based alerts, and strict speed enforcement. The findings will be integrated into a unified SOP for both road and rail corridors during a planned joint meeting with NHAI and Indian Railways.
Wildlife experts said the SOP signals a shift from reactive measures to preventive planning. Without structural mitigation and accountability, linear infrastructure will continue to pose a threat to big cats. Officials believe that if implemented effectively, the SOP could serve as a national template for wildlife-rich corridors, helping protect critical habitats while allowing infrastructure operations to continue safely.
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