Animal carcasses threat to road safety on state, national highways

Anantapur: Scores of animal deaths due to road mishaps on the state and national highways and foul smell emanating out of them is inconveniencing vehicle drivers and sometimes resulting in ghastly road accidents. Removal of corpses of dead animals have become a challenge as no one is taking responsibility for removal of the animal corpses.

"The government should establish a procedure for the removal of dead animals on the national highways. There should be a control agency to handle injured, dying or dead animals.

National highways should be divided into clusters and each cluster should have a Blue Cross or an agency that looks after the removal of dead animals and clean the remnants within 12 hours. The commuters should be given information regarding the services and the government should make arrangements todispose the carcass" says M Suresh Babu, social worker.

Every day thousands of cattle, livestock, poultry and dogs, cats meet with road accidents. Thousands of people travel on National highways every day. No one likes to catch a glimpse of a dead animal on the side of the road, but it can be a daily occurrence on roads.

Last week five people travelling in a Tata Magic vehicle were killed and 10 others sustained injuries in a ghastly road accident that occurred near SC Colony of Rolagampadu village in Tarlupadu mandal.

The driver on spotting the carcass of a buffalo on the road tried to negotiate a turn but lost control of the vehicle and collided with a truck coming in the opposite direction.

The National Highway and the local village secretariats should be held responsible for removal of dead animals on the ŕoads. Most of the stray dogs are killed on the roads and every kilometre one can witness at least one dead animal. These carcasses are thrown in lakes, ponds, abandoned places and adjacent to roads in villages, which again is a health hazard..

Everyday thousands cross these roads covering their nose, but nobody bothers to give a complaint.

The National High Ways personnel, Police patrol team and highway users are urging for government intervention to make travel safe and hassle-free on the state and national highways.