Keonjhar: The National Highway-20 passing through Keonjhar town has recently been a death trap, thanks to the faulty and half-constructed positioning. Accidents have become new normal on this stretch, taking a toll on lives of human beings and wild animals.
The increasing number of accidents has become a matter of concern. Animal lovers in the district are worried over increasing wild animal deaths due to accidents in the NH.
Expressing resentment, locals ascribed it to the absence of underpass on the stretch for the animals to cross and demanded immediate construction of underpasses on the bridge.
The NH 20 connects Keonjhar and passes through dense jungles at Palaspanga, Atei, Balibandh, Tangrani, Naranpur and Barbanka. In nights wild animals like elephants, bears, rabbits, wild boars, dogs and pangolins cross the road from one side to another.
While they are crossing the road, they are more susceptible to being run over by speeding vehicles. There are number of cases of these wild animals being run over by unknown speeding vehicles.
According to these animal lovers, the problem of crossing the road has become more threatening than ever after the road has been converted to a four lane one.
When the four lane work was undertaken, three underpasses between Panikoili and Rajamunda were in the planning to ensure free movement of wild animals of reserve forests on the either side of the road.
One such underpass is under construction at Badaposi. The construction work on the underpass has allegedly been going on for last four years. The newly constructed road is 15 feet higher than the old one, causing a lot trouble for the wild animals to cross such a high road to go to the other side. In this situation, underpass will help them a lot.
When connected, Keonjhar animal conservator Harekrushna Mohanta expressed his concern over animals deaths in road accidents and at the same time indicated that the number of accidents would increase if the corridors of wild animals were not made easy with providing them with underpasses and bridges.
PNN
