Ranchi, Dec 25 : Rail and road traffic across parts of Jharkhand continue to be severely affected due to frequent movement of wild elephants.

Owing to repeated elephant crossings on the Manoharapurâ??Jharsuguda rail section under the Chakradharpur railway division, as many as 18 local passenger trains have been cancelled for four days, from December 25 to 28, railway officials said.

The cancelled services include Tatanagar-Rourkela-Tatanagar MEMU, Chakradharpurâ??Rourkela-Chakradharpur MEMU, Tata-Barbil-Tata MEMU, Tata-Gua-Tata MEMU, Tata-Chakradharpur-Tata MEMU and Tata-Kharagpur-Tata MEMU, among other local trains.

The prolonged cancellations have caused immense hardship to daily commuters, particularly those travelling from smaller stations.

Meanwhile, a positive example of wildlife conservation was recently witnessed in the same railway division. A herd of 22 elephants was spotted crossing railway tracks between Bisra and Bandamunda Cabin â??Aâ?? on the Howrah-Mumbai main line.

Prioritising animal safety, railway authorities temporarily halted 12 long-distance trains, preventing any mishap, probably amid heightened caution after seven elephants were killed in Assam on December 20, when a herd was hit by the Rajdhani Express.

The timely intervention in Jharkhand averted an accident, and the Wildlife Trust of India later honoured the Chakradharpur railway division for the initiative.

Elephant movement also disrupted road traffic on National Highway-33, which connects Ranchi and Ramgarh, on Wednesday evening. A herd of 18 wild elephants suddenly appeared near the highway, triggering panic among motorists.

As a precaution, police and district authorities halted vehicular movement from both directions. Vehicles coming from Ramgarh were stopped near Mayatungri hill, while traffic from Ranchi was halted in the Kharabera area of the Chutupalu valley.

Traffic on NH-33 remained completely suspended for nearly an hour.

Upon receiving information, the forest departmentâ??s quick response team reached the spot and safely drove the elephants back into the forest using torches, flashlights, and sirens. Traffic was later restored.

Officials said the situation remains serious, noting that six people have died in elephant attacks in Jharkhand over the past week.

/IANS