Chhattisgarh High Court Asks NHAI To Prevent Highway Accidents Due To Stray Animals

Taking note of recurring instances of road accidents on national highways caused as a result of stray cattle lying on the roads leading to loss of human and animal lives, the Chhattisgarh High Court said that measures taken by State and NHAI to curb such incidents were insufficient. The court took note of an affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary in response to its July 16 order regarding an accident in which 16 unclaimed cattle were killed after being hit by an unknown vehicle on the Ratanpur–Kenda Road (NH 45), highlighting measures taken thereafter. Such measures included— constituting joint monitoring teams in rural and urban areas, installing radium strips on over 2000 cattle, conducting sterilisation and ear-tagging drives with the held of Animal Husbandry Department, establishing holding areas and shelters for stray cattle roaming on the roads, identifying and marking high-risk zones, running awareness campaigns in villages along highways, registering FIRs against negligent cattle owners, and proposing a 205.10 acre cow sanctuary in Jogipur for long-term stray cattle management.During the hearing on July 31, the court was informed of one more incident of road accident on the National Highway, in which 7 cattle had died and that such incidents are being taken place on regular intervals. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, thereafter observed:“The Project Director of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is directed to file personal affidavit in order to demonstrate before this Court regarding measures taken by the NHAI with respect to stray cattle found on the road due to which accidents are being taking place and loss of human lives as well as death of animals in large numbers are seen through News items and Social Media, which goes to show that inspite of fact that though the State and the NHAI are taking some measures to curb the said problem, but the said measures are insufficient.”Accordingly, the Court directed NHAI to take “some positive measures” to make the public aware, in all possible modes, that they should be cautious while driving so that “no untoward incident happens to the persons as well as to the animals, which are found sitting on the road.”"We further direct that the State should also take effective measures promptly as has been stated by the Chief Secretary in his afore-quoted affidavit," the court added.It was further brought to the knowledge of the Court that shops alongside the Pendridih bypass over the government land were being rented out by the Gram Panchayat and the said shops were being used to host a large number of vehicles, including heavy trucks, for refreshment and repair.In this regard, the Court remarked,“Earlier also this Court had passed the order that there should be no encroachment under the bridge near Pendiridih bypass. We hope and trust that place under the said bridge shall be made clean and beautification shall be done with sufficient street lights etc. Gram Panchayat, Pendridih is also directed to ensure that the shops, which are running in the Pendridih bypass, do not allow the truck owners or any other person to have their vehicle stop there and have refreshment or lunch there, failing which, this Court would pass appropriate orders.”Accordingly, the Court directed the District Magistrate, Bilaspur, to file a personal affidavit and to subsequently ensure that the shops operating along the bypass do not cause traffic congestion and that no antisocial activities are allowed to continue.The matter is now listed on August 19.Case Number: WPPIL No. 58 of 2019Case Title: SANJAY RAJAK v. STATE OF CHHATTISGARHClick Here To Read/Download Order

Chhattisgarh High Court Asks NHAI To Prevent Highway Accidents Due To Stray Animals

Saahas Arora

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