DKS remarks on night traffic ban through Bandipur rile activists

Day time traffic density on NH 766 through Bandipur is high and hence a night traffic ban is in place to provide breather for wildlife.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

The recent remarks of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in Wayanad that Karnataka may relook into the night traffic curbs in Bandipur has stirred a hornet’s nest in the State. Mr. Shivakumar was in Wayanad in Kerala from where Priyanka Vadra is contesting elections and lifting the ban on night traffic through Bandipur is one of the major demands of the people in that region.

However, wildlife conservationists and activists have pointed out that the High Court of Karnataka has upheld the ban and even the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has in its report stated that the existing ban on night traffic in vogue at various national parks and tiger reserves should continue.

The NTCA report was a fallout of the Supreme Court’s directions to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to file an affidavit with suggestions on making NH 275 (NH 272) and State Highway-90, to be made into a National Highway and to ensure that both the width and other features of this highway were equal to NH212 that passes through the core area of Bandipur.

Mitigative measures vital

Though NH-275 and SH-90 do not pass through Bandipur, the final report cited certain basic principles formulated by the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) which stated that roads and highways should be planned in such a manner that all national parks and sanctuaries are bypassed and the integrity of the Protected Area is maintained. It said wildlife corridors should be avoided and mitigative measures such as restricting night traffic need to be employed.

The NTCA also cited from the NBWL’s draft guideline document and highlighted that ban on night traffic – from dawn to dusk – was essential to save animals from disturbance from the constant flow of traffic, and thus allow them passage. The NBWL guideline recommended that night traffic bans should be initiated and applied in core critical tiger habitats, national parks and sanctuaries. Such bans exist in various tiger reserves and national parks and night passes may be provided for villages or communities living within the protected areas, the NTCA report added.

Giridhar Kulkarni, wildlife conservationist, said core critical tiger habitat areas of national parks and sanctuaries are required to be kept inviolate for tiger conservation which was also agreed upon by the Supreme Court while hearing the case related to night traffic ban through Bandipur on NH 766 (earlier NH 212).

Other route

He said the State government has already spent nearly ₹75 crore for strengthening alternate route via Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta based on the order of High Court of Karnataka. Hence the question of lifting the night traffic ban through Bandipur does not arise and any attempt to do so would be detrimental to wildlife, said Mr. Kulkarni.