Maharashtra: Reports of wildlife perishing on the brand-new Samruddhi Expressway have already started trickling in despite the creation of wildlife corridors along the road.
One of the first cases was on the very weekend the expressway was inaugurated, a hare being the victim. Now, a langur and a black buck have been killed by speeding vehicles. On Monday, a video of two antelopes running alongside a vehicle went viral on social media.
Despite mitigation measures such as the creation of 16 wildlife corridors (eight underpasses and eight overpasses) and 100 other wildlife protection structures to save the animals, instances of them getting crushed on Maharashtra’s road to prosperity now seem to be inevitable.
The entire 701km expressway that connects Mumbai to Nagpur passes through three wildlife sanctuaries: Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary at Akola; Karanja-Sohol Black Buck Sanctuary at Washim and Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary in Thane.
Currently, only the 520km stretch between Shirdi and Nagpur has been made operational. The remainder will be opened to the public only after at least six months.
