One dies as Gadchiroli’s ‘mining corridor’ sees 2 more accidents

NAGPUR: One more life was lost on the Etapalli-Alapalli road, which is also used by vehicles of Surjagarh mining company, on Saturday while an elderly woman is fighting for life after her legs were crushed under a truck ferrying iron ore on Sunday. Barring a few patches, the Etapalli-Alapalli, Ashti-Alapalli and Etapalli-Gutta roads are in a bad condition and see movement of heavy vehicles, including that of the mining industry.
In the past, people had resorted to arsoning and agitation after accidents, attracting anti-Naxal laws against many tribal activists. The government has mooted an exclusive mining corridor but it is yet to take off. Many other leaders too were booked for instigating local tribal population who raised voices against mining and the traffic flow on bad roads after fatal accidents. Nikhil Sepay, 47, was crushed under the wheels of a private contractor’s truck carrying road construction material on Saturday near Maddigudam. Senior citizen Laxmibai was severely injured after a truck carrying iron ore ran over her legs after she fell off her husband’s bike on Sunday. Sepay was wearing a helmet.
The second accident happened after the truck had just left the ore dumping yard located at Maddigudam. The road at the spot where the truck hit the bike of Laxmibai’s husband has narrowed due to construction of a nullah, said cops. SP Neelotpal said an emergency response team (ERT), comprising around a dozen cops, would be deployed at the Aheri police station under the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Aheri. "The squad will be specially equipped to respond in the golden hour after the accident,” said Neelotpal and added that in order to keep drunken driving in check a crack down has started on dabhas or eateries serving liquor.
Activist and former zilla parishad member Sainu Gota said the road up to Gatta must be widened and safe driving practices need to be followed. “With so many people falling prey to accidents, we will be compelled to launch agitation,” he said. Social workers of Tiger group, led by Sai Tulsigari, have deployed their ambulances to shift injured people to nearby hospitals. Tulsigari said they are trying to help police and mining companies to save lives. Former MLA and ex-guardian minister Ambarishrao Atram, patron of this group of youngsters, has also donated a freezer for preserving bodies until they are handed over to the kin. In another development, Sepay turned out to be a drug trafficker from Kagaznagar in Telangana. “Sepay, though dead, was booked under AntiNarcotics Act as police have found around 1.7 kg ganja in his possession,” said a cop.