40km march to save wildlife on Chanda-Mul Road

CHANDRAPUR: Wildlife NGO Eco-Pro has planned a 40-km-long march on May 31 on Mul-Chandrapur road that has turned into a death trap for wild animals due to widening of the road after being given national highway status. Many other wildlife organizations are likely to join the march.

The agitation is the outcome of discontent brewing among the NGOs and wildlife activists after a large number of animal deaths were reported from Chandrapur-Mul patch of the highway in the recent past. Union government had declared Chandrapur-Mul-Gadchiroli road as highway No. 930 and construction, widening and strengthening work of the road is underway for the last many months.

The Chandrapur-Mul stretch of the highway has witnessed several hit-and-run accidents in which wild animals were killed or injured as the authorities are carrying out road widening work on the road passing through the eco-sensitive zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve without planning mitigation measures.

At present construction of the road is underway and traffic is allowed only on one side at places. Heavy vehicles passing on the newly strengthened and widened road run at breakneck speed and wild animals crossing the road are being hit on a daily basis. The entire forest stretch from Chandrapur to Mul serves as critical wildlife corridor that connects TATR to South Indravati Tiger Project and forests in Telangana.