19 tiger deaths in 3 years: Balharsha-Gondia railway route turns into 'killer track'

The railway tracks along the Maharashtra-Telangana border are increasingly being stained with the blood of tigers. On Sunday (November 30), yet another tiger was killed after being hit by a speeding train, raising fresh concerns over wildlife safety.

This marks the 19th tiger death on the railway line in just three years, turning this route into a death trap for the big cats. The negligence of railway authorities is proving fatal for wildlife, with the tracks becoming a deadly snare.

Tiger crossing railway track

The latest incident took place on Sunday near Sirpur (T) mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district of Telangana, where a tiger was crossing the railway track and was struck by a high-speed train. The animal belonged to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district.

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According to Telangana forest officer K Srinivas, who spoke to The Federal Telangana, the tiger was moving from the forest region in Maharashtra towards the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Adilabad district when it was fatally hit.

Railway line soaked in blood

There are six tiger reserves in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra — Tadoba, Pench, Melghat, Sahyadri, Navegaon-Nagzira, and Bor — leading to a significant increase in the tiger population there. As territorial space becomes limited, tigers often stray into Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve. In doing so, they frequently cross railway tracks along the border, only to be struck down by fast-moving trains.

Including Sunday’s death, a total of 19 tigers have been killed on these tracks so far. The tracks, especially the route between Gondia and Balharsha, are now a deadly corridor for wildlife. On Sunday night, around 11 p.m., a passenger train from Gondia to Balharsha hit a tiger, killing it on the spot. Another tiger was previously killed between Sindewahi and Alewahi stations on the Balharsha-Gondia line.

19 tiger deaths in 3 years

The Balharsha-Gondia railway line has become a "killer track", claiming 19 tiger lives in just three years. Despite the Maharashtra High Court’s order to submit a report on these recurring deaths, the Forest Department has not responded adequately. Even requests to build underpasses to facilitate safe wildlife crossings have been ignored by the Railway Department.

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As a result, tiger fatalities continue to occur along this deadly stretch. Another tiger was killed near Wihirgaon in Chandrapur after being struck by a speeding train. A five-year-old tiger attempting to cross the Balharsha-Kazipet down line was hit by a goods train. A postmortem led by Dr. Ravikanth Khobragade at the Transit Treatment Centre in Chandrapur confirmed the cause of death as severe injuries and blood loss from the train collision.

Underpasses blocked and ineffective

Although underpasses and small bridges exist along the Balharsha-Chanda Fort-Gondia route, many are blocked by vegetation, rendering them unusable for wildlife. The Forest Department has written to the Railways, requesting that these be cleared for tiger movement, but to no avail. On October 13 this year, a male tiger was killed in a similar collision on the Gondia-Balharsha railway line. The continuous loss of tigers has alarmed wildlife conservationists. In 2025 alone, 12 wild animals have been killed in railway accidents in Chandrapur district — these include three tigers, one leopard, three sloth bears, four sambars, and one wild boar.

WII recommendations gather dust

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had recommended several measures to ease wildlife movement near forested areas and tiger corridors. These included the construction of underpasses and overbridges on key routes such as Gondia-Wadsa, Wadsa-Nagbhid-Mul, Mul-Chandrapur, and Chandrapur-Rajura-Kagaznagar in Telangana. However, these proposals remain only on paper.

In contrast, along the Balaghat-Nainpur railway route in Madhya Pradesh, 10 underpasses and two overpasses have been constructed to facilitate wildlife movement. But no such initiatives have been implemented on the Balharsha–Gondia line. Citing the alarming number of wildlife deaths on this route, conservationists have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Nagpur Bench of the Mumbai High Court. Yet, the Railway Department has failed to act. With no concrete steps being taken to implement protective measures, the railway line continues to pose a fatal threat to tigers and other wildlife.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)