Tourists are just to begin to come in Palamu Tiger Reserve as the National Park Betla is all set to open on October 1 after a three month closure ending September 30 to enable wild life time and privacy to copulate and breed.
However, rush of tourists means rush of vehicles more four wheeler than the two wheeler. Sources said more vehicles on road mean more dangers to wild life which cross the road here in Palamu Tiger Reserve.
PTR has two very important roads one is State highway number 9 Betla to Mahuadarn and the other is Armu Banari road and both the roads are used by wild life and sometimes confront vehicles only to lose life or get maimed for life.
There are 31 vulnerable points on these roads where cases of wild life coming under the wheels have been noticed.
Snakes are the worst victims and if it is python then risks of crossing state highway or Armu Banari road get multifold. The other road rush victims of wild life are lizards, chameleons, squirrels, monkeys, langurs, hyena, chital etc.
A driver who runs his four-wheeler said, “I stop my vehicle if I find a jackal crossing it. But this I do to over tide some superstitions and not for any convenience to the jackal.”
Out of 31 most risk spots for wild life of PTR 14 are of high density risk while 17 are medium density risk. High density risk is where the vehicular traffic is too high while medium density risk is where vehicular traffic is normal.
Sources said on an average 200 small medium and big vehicles ply on state highway number 9 Betla to Mahuadarn and half of it on Armu Banari road a day.
A K Mishra deputy director North division of PTR said love and concern among drivers of the wheels are most wanting as these commercial drivers are more interested in making trip after trip to earn money and for this the speed is always high.
He said we have been asking to enforce 20KMPH speed restriction from Betla to Mahuadarn at night but it is not getting enforced properly.
Sources said hywa which carries tonnes of ores like bauxite ply here on this road from adjoining mining sites poses real threat to wild life.
Again sources said there is no horn zone in the whole stretch of these two roads. PTR’s wild life is at he mercy of others like drivers, poachers, smugglers etc whie officials have successfully curbed poaching and smuggling but taming errant drivers here is a remote possibility.