: Conservation has suffered a severe jolt with roadkills in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary accounting for a large number of fatalities over the past six months, mainly owing to lack of strict measures to enforce speed limits on vehicles on the Chinnar-Udumalpet road.
A study conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, has found as many as 85 roadkills in the past six months within the sanctuary limits.
An official of the sanctuary told The Hindu that the Chinnar sanctuary accounts for one of the highest number of roadkills during the period compared to sanctuaries in other States.
The rising number of fatalities is owing to rash driving and uncontrolled passage of heavy vehicles during night-time. As per a government order, the speed limits on roads passing through forest areas are restricted to 30 km an hour and passage of heavy vehicles is banned during night-time.
This had considerably reduced roadkills in the Bandipur and Muthumalai National Park and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, he added.
“A large number of trip jeeps pass through the Marayur-Chinnar belt of the National Highway. The highest number of roadkills was on the 15-km stretch between Karimutty and the border of the Annamalai National Park.
Chinnar range officer P.M. Prabhu told The Hindu that no proper restrictions were being enforced on passage of heavy vehicles during night-time. However, taxi trip jeeps were the main culprits, he said.
Mr. Prabhu said the sanctuary had recently erected 14 speed breakers between Karimutty and the border with the Annamalai National Park on the National Highway. However, the work could not be completed following stiff resistance by taxi drivers and local political leaders.
Natural habitat
The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural habitat of rare species of simian population, tortoise, and reptiles. “Leopards, simians, reptiles and grizzled squirrels fall prey to roadkills,” said Mr. Prabhu adding that wild gaurs and elephants cross the road for water and fodder, especially during summer. Many road accidents were reported when drivers of speeding vehicles failed to notice them. Though the District Collector had directed the Public Works Department (Roads) to build speed breakers, it has not materialised yet, he added.
