Tiger reserve Palamu is going to be more vulnerable. Its more than a 100 Km stretch of road which is now a State highway is to be converted into a national highway as the Union Ministry of Transport, Road and Highway has approved the widening plan of this State highway to become a national highway in principle.
Sources said a state highway retains its length but its width gets enormously enlarged. Sources said a two lane or four lane conversion of this state highway passing through the heart of tiger reserve will have a far reaching ramifications on the wild life and bio diversity scenario.
Sources said on this more than 100 Km stretch there is no mini or major industry nor any mining quarry and the stretch has a couple of railway stations like Hehegara, Chhipadohar, Koomandi,and to widen this state highway to become a national highway defies all logic.
Sources said the present state highwaysuffice enough to meet the pressure of the tourists and other vehicular traffic. Its widening will only critically impair the tiger reserve.
Field director PTR M P Singh told the Pioneer ' The government of India has agreed in principle to convert this state highway into national highway'.
DFO core of PTR A K Mishra said two agencies have been set up by the government to prepare a detailed project report on the widening of this state highway.which starts from Dubiya Kharn to Rajpur under Gumla district bordering Chhatisgarh.
PTR's prime locations like Betla, Garu, Chhipadohar Maromar Bareysarn and Mahuadarn will get affected by this widening of this state highway.
About its adverse impact Mishra said the habitat for wild life is set to be fragmented and fractured and where the habitat is disturbed or dislocated or disjointed the ultimate sufferer is the wild life.
He agreed that in the widening of this state highway reserve forest protected forest etc will come under its influence.
Sources said the state highway from Betla to Rajpur has been the grave yard of many of the reptiles and other invertebrates which get crushed by the wheels of the speedy vehicles.
Mishra conceded that on this state highway hordes/single elephants come, go and litter it with their dung and if it is further widened elephants will be more vulnerable to road crash. Sources said there is no count of casualties of the lizards, snakes and other crawling animals on this state highway. Sources said snakes on this state highway are revengefully crushed even where the snakes can be given a second chance to live.
A widened road in tiger reserve is fraught with unseen dangers for wild life and this PTR is no exception to it said sources. Heavy traffic means heavy pollution hazardous to any wild life and further honking day and night will disturb wild life like tiger leopard etc most.