Explained: How Bahu Balli Cattle Fence will prevent accidents on national highways

New Delhi: Centre is planning to fence all the national highways to prevent accidents and cattle fatalities.

'Bahu Balli Cattle Fence' aims to make highways sustainable and minimize harm to wildlife and humans. To start with, the Centre has fenced a section of NH 30 in Chhattisgarh.

“We are planning to implement the Bahu Balli Cattle Fence along highways in India to prevent cattle from crossing the road and causing dangerous accidents that result in the loss of human life. The fence will be 1.20 meters high and will be installed on section 23 of NH-30 as a comprehensive solution. This installation will serve as a demonstration before the esteemed visit of PM Modi to Chhattisgarh,” Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways tweeted.

He said the cattle fence, constructed using bamboo, offers a fully effective and environmentally friendly solution. “The bamboo is treated with creosote oil and coated with HDPE, making it a stronger alternative to steel. The fence has a fire rating of Class 1, ensuring safety, and aligns with the principles of #AatmanirbharBharat, which aims to make all highways sustainable and minimize harm to wildlife and cattle,” he said.

What is the Bahu Balli Cattle Fence?

The cattle fence will be constructed using Bambusa Balcoa bamboo species-- a fully effective and environmentally friendly solution.

The fence will be 1.20 meters high.

The bamboo is treated with creosote oil and coated with HDPE making it a stronger alternative to steel. This will be for the first time that bamboo is being trusted by the NHAI instead of mild steel fencing.

Bamboo Crash Barrier underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions, such as the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore, and was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee.

The barrier had also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress. While the recycling value of bamboo barriers is 50-70 percent, the steel barriers are 30-50 percent.

This will ensure safety and aligns with the principles of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, which aims to make all highways sustainable and minimize harm to wildlife and cattle.

In March 2023, a bamboo barricade has been set up for 200 meters on the Vani-Varora highway in Maharashtra, which is for first time in the world on a highway.

How strong is Bamboo?

According to the Fact Protocol findings, bamboo is treated with creosote oil and coated with HDPE, making it a stronger alternative to steel.

It is a naturally strong material, but it can be further strengthened by treating it with creosote oil. Creosote oil is a dark, oily liquid that is a byproduct of coal tar distillation. It is a good preservative and can help to protect bamboo from rot and decay.

HDPE, or high-density polyethylene, is a type of plastic that is also very strong. It is often used in applications where strength and durability are important, such as in the construction of pipes and containers. When bamboo is treated with creosote oil and coated with HDPE, it becomes a very strong and durable material. It is often used as an alternative to steel in applications where weight and cost are important factors.

The bamboo treated with creosote oil and coated with HDPE can make it a good alternative to steel for cattle fence purposes.

Previous Road accidents:

There have been incidents of cattle deaths and road accidents causing loss of human life on the highways especially during the night.

In September 2022, two young persons died after their speedy car rammed into a stray dog on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway near Kuvadva Road. The incident took place at around 11 pm when the person driving the car lost control as the cow suddenly appeared on the road leaving no time for the driver to apply brakes.

According to the 2022 report of the Haryana State government, over 900 people died in road accidents caused by stray cattle in Haryana in the last five years. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister JP Dalal informed the Assembly said that a total of 3,383 such road accidents occurred in five years. In these accidents, 919 people lost their lives, and 3,017 sustained injuries.

The national highway stretches between Kottampatti and Melur, Madurai-Vadipatti and Sivarakottai-Thoppur are considered to be dangerous stretches for cattle movement. The area reported many accidents as the commuters were unable to notice cattle due to low visibility at night.

Radium neck belts for cattle:

In Raniganj, West Bengal, the police along with an NGO put up radium belts around the neck of a few cattle and stray dogs at different places off the highway in West Burdwan district. This is to help drivers at night. The district saw around 50 cattle deaths between Durgapur and Asansol on NH-2 from December 2022-January 2023.