Haldwani, Nov. 7 -- The state forest department and the Railways have decided to strengthen surveillance to curb instances of elephants being run over by passing trains in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Officials said they planned to impose a speed limit of 30 kmph on identified stretches across six railway sections, deploy 48 personnel for round-the-clock patrolling and build shelters for patrol teams. At a meeting of forest and railway officials after the death of an elephant who was hit by a train on the Chhatarpur-Haldwani railway section on October 27, both departments agreed to improve coordination and intensify monitoring, Western Circle conservator Nitish Mani Tripathi said. The 30 kmph restriction has been imposed on identified stretches of six railway sections: Chhatarpur-Haldwani, Haldwani-Lalkuan, Lalkuan-Gularbhoj, Lalkuan-Haldwani, Lalkuan-Pantnagar and Kashipur-Ramnagar. "A dedicated patrolling arrangement will also be introduced along the Lalkuan-Gularbhoj and Lalkuan-Chhatarpur sections, which have been identified for enhanced surveillance. Personnel will be deployed in three shifts to ensure continuous monitoring. Each shift will comprise eight personnel, including four railway employees and four forest department staff members. He added that the patrol teams will be provided with railway vehicles and essential communication equipment. In locations where vegetation obstructs access to railway tracks, pathways will be cleared to enable personnel to reach vulnerable areas quickly. Officials added that to support the patrolling teams, resting sheds, huts or portable cabins will be constructed at intervals of three to four kilometres along the Lalkuan-Gularbhoj and Lalkuan-Chhatarpur sections. A joint team of officials from the two departments will inspect the sensitive locations over the next 15 days, said the conservator. The Railways has also introduced a 24-hour helpline, 0581-2518172, to receive information about elephant movement. "Patrol teams will also use the helpline to share information, while telephone numbers and WhatsApp groups will facilitate coordination between the departments," an official said. "We also decided to map forest beats and ranges against the kilometre markers displayed on overhead electric (OHE) poles along railway tracks. This will help authorities identify the precise forest jurisdiction and the personnel responsible for responding to an incident," added the conservator....