Hours after Samruddhi opening, monkey crushed to death near Pulgaon

Nagpur: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 520km section of motorist-friendly Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg between Nagpur and Shirdi on Sunday, a monkey was crushed to death somewhere near Pulgaon in the evening.
Monkeys are a protected species under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
On Sunday, state chief minister Eknath Shinde in his speech at the inauguration of the expressway had specifically said that the Samruddhi Mahamarg was not only an economic corridor but also the green corridor of the state. “We have taken all the care to make it eco-friendly by constructing overpasses and underpasses for wild animals. We would be planting 35 lakh trees on the entire stretch,” he said.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which has built the expressway, too has been claiming about providing safe passages for wildlife.
A wildlife lover Dr Sunil Bawaskar, who travelled on Samruddhi Mahamarg while returning from Buldhana-Mehkar, said, “The langur must have been killed in the evening when wild animals are generally active. There were many monkeys on the same route. On way, I also saw an abandoned bull on the highway, which could prove dangerous for passers-by. The animal had no escape route.”
Dr Bawaskar fears this is just the tip of the iceberg. “You will see many more animal deaths on the e-way. Travellers who drive at @120kmph need to be cautious. Though the MSRDC has installed cement barriers to block the entire highway from both sides to prevent entry of animals and cattle, these barriers are not fenced,” said Dr Bawaskar.
According to green activist Shrikant Deshpande, there are gaps at many places and animals can still come on the road. “The fencing doesn’t have barbed wires as promised. The wildlife overpasses in ESZ of Katepurna and Karanja Sohol are also not in a proper shape,” he said.
“The expressway has been built over farmlands that were frequented by wild and domestic animals. These animals will tend to cross the road at many spots, so travellers will have to be careful,” said Deshpande.