H’bag forest dept blames NHAI after car kills deer

Hazaribag: The forest department on Tuesday lashed out at the local unit of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for lapses in road widening of NH33 which passes through the Hazaribag wildlife sanctuary a day after a speeding vehicle hit and killed a deer.
The sanctuary, also known as Hazaribag National Park, has good number of deer. The highway cutting through it, however, is turning out to be disastrous for its wild animals. On Monday, a vehicle hit the deer on the Hazaribag-Barhi stretch, 20 km from the town, injuring it grievously. Forest officials, who were witness to the incident, rushed the deer to a local vet hospital but it died of its injuries.
Wildlife divisional forest officer (DFO), A Chodhury, confirming the incident, said the deer was crossing the western flank of the park towards the east near Salparni dam gate when the incident occurred. “Four forest guards rushed the deer to hospital but it died,” he said, criticising NHAI.
A wider NH33 was commissioned five months ago as a result of which vehicular movement has increased here. “The NHAI is supposed to construct three flyovers of 700m each besides constructing box-culverts. Unfortunately, it did not happen,” Chodhury said, adding that to prevent such incidents, the NHAI Hazaribag circle has been directed to fence the forest on both sides of the road. “The state’s chief wildlife warden will soon visit to decide the length of the fence,” he said.