Maharashtra: Leopard run over by unidentified vehicle on Samruddhi Expressway

A leopard died after it was hit by unidentified vehicle on Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtras Nashik district the second such incident in the last fortnight a police official told news agency PTI on MondayThe incident occurred on Saturday night near Bharvir toll plaza in Chandwad tehsil the official told PTIA leopard which was crossing the road was hit by a speeding vehicle killing it on the spot The forest department took custody of the carcass An accidental death case has been registered the official told PTIOn September 20 a leopard was killed by an unidentified vehicle at Mohadari Ghat in Sinnar in Nashik the official told PTILast month Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had said the NagpurMumbai Samruddhi Expressway is too straight and was making drivers sleepy resulting in accidentsThe corridor which is operational between Nagpur and Igatpuri in Nashik district at present has regularly seen accidents with some experts claiming highway hypnosis may be one of the causesIt is a phenomenon in which a person is at the wheel on autopilot mode for long periods and it is said to take place on long straight roadsSpeaking at an event where he laid the foundation stones of several civic works Pawar said The Samruddhi Expressway is too straight which makes the driver sleepy As a result it causes accidents Some turns could have been made on this highway so that drivers dont feel sleepy We need to take corrective measures after a thorough studyPawar also said guardian ministers must conduct a followup every week to ensure thorough implementation of the package announced for Marathwada during the dayMy finance department will review these works in the package every two months to ensure they progress speedily without hurdles Pawar addedThe Maharashtra government held its cabinet meeting here on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the regions Liberation Day Marathwada was liberated from the rule of the Hyderabad Nizam on September 17 1948CM Shinde had announced a package of Rs 45000 crore for the development of Marathwada as well as revised administrative sanctions for irrigation projects worth Rs 14000 croreThe Marathwada region comprises eight districts Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar previously known as Aurangabad Dharashiv previously known as Osmanabad Jalna Beed Latur Nanded Hingoli and ParbhaniWith inputs from PTI