Hazaribag: The Danua Valley stretch on the GT Road in Hazaribag district’s Chauparan block has reported several fatal accidents, with commuters and locals claiming scientifically designed crash barriers, proper banking on curves and effective signage were inadequate.Official estimates indicated that more than 250 people lost their lives in accidents on this stretch over the past five years. The stretch after Chordaha checkpost towards Chauparan has multiple blind curves, steep gradients and a narrow carriageway making driving extremely risky. On the Bihar-bound side near Hathiya Baba temple, a sharp downhill slope leads to a nearly 40-ft-deep gorge.“At times, the road was painted red, sometimes large cement structures were placed on slopes. Funds were spent on CCTV cameras and warning boards. But the core engineering faults were never addressed,” said Shashi Shekhar, secretary of a local NGO, which provides free ambulance service for accident victims.Officials cited forest clearance issues as a major hurdle as the stretch passes through the Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary.NHAI has recently introduced red topping on selected curves to improve tyre grip and naturally slow down speeding vehicles, especially on sharp bends. Barhi sub-divisional officer Johan Tudu told TOI, “The administration will review existing lacunae again and take further corrective steps by roping in NHAI experts.”Hazaribag SP Aman Kumar also inspected the stretch and issued directives to prevent accidents.