Bamboo fencing on Nainital's hillside roads to prevent mishaps

Nainital, Nov.21 (ANI): Following various incidents of mishaps due to accidents or vehicles falling off the high cliff into the deep gorges, accident-prone hillside roads are being fenced with bamboo along Kathgodam-Nainital National Highway in Nainital.

The initiative Bamboo bio-fencing has come up as a pilot project of the Forest Department of Nainital.

Under the project, the Forest department and the Department of Transportation will plant bamboo along the roads of Kathgodam Nainital National Highway to prevent road mishaps.

"On this road to Kathgodam hillside roads vehicles fall into gorges frequently, keeping this in mind we aim to minimize vehicular accidents and the loss of life and property, which results from such mishaps. Bamboo bio fencing is being done on the slope-side of the roads. Plantation will be done in three columns; one above the other, to avoid loss of life and property." said Parag Madhurkar Divisional forest officer (DFO), Terai Central Forest Division.

According to the authorities, frequency of mishaps is very high on 250 identified risk zones on the spiral hill roads. Forest authorities are giving priority to Government figures that show 500 fatalities and above 1000 injuries resulting from the road mishaps on spiral roads every year.

Bamboo is chosen for the bio fencing as it can create impenetrable mesh to keep vehicles from falling into the deep gorges.

Forest department authorities hope the bio fence will develop enough strength to offer resistance to crashing vehicles, once it gets developed enough in about two years.

As the barren hill roads sides will be covered by green bio fence, authorities believe that bio fencing will prove to be eco-friendly.

Nainital will be the first to present the model of bio fencing in the Uttarakhand State. Authorities believe that if this experiment proves successful succeeds, it will provide a breakthrough in high altitude area. By Vipul Goel (ANI)