Wildlife toll due to accidents is higher than death from poaching

Conservationists and forest department officials are optimistic that the recent orders issued by Karnataka High Court will help protect not only Bandipur tiger reserve but also other national parks and sanctuaries. They want other vulnerable roads also to be closed at night.

Karnataka High Court order on Mondayputs back traffic ban on National Highway 212 and 67 which cut through the Bandipur tiger reserve from 9pm to 6am. This is the second road where a road-closure order is prevailing for night hours. Experts say that the ratio of animal deaths due to accidents are higher compared to deaths from poaching.

“The decision of the court is a welcome move as it will help protect forests from degradation by dividing it and also protect wildlife,” said Praveen Bhargav, managing trustee Wildlife First and member of National Board for Wildlife.

“However, there are some other roads which need immediate attention. The top in the list is Karwar-Londa road- National Highway 17- which cuts across Anshi and Dandeli tiger reserves. This should be also be closed at night and alternate route of travelling from Karwar to Yellapur, the western edge of Dandeli should be used to reach Haliyal and then to Londa and Khanapur,” he added. 

The forest department officials had made many attempts to protect forest areas and stop vehicular movement at night but failed succumbing to pressure. Recently, under a mutual understanding Bannerghatta National Park officials sought consent from Public Works Department, not to tar and widen the existing 3.75 meters wide and 1.78 kms long Kaggalipura—Bannerghatta Road which leads to Hosur Road.According to BNP officials this road, which cuts across the national park thrice, is an elephant corridor and is used by locals to commute to around 25 villages.

Apart from light motor vehicles, buses also ply on this stretch.   In the past couple of months garbage vehicles have also been seeing plying on this stretch. The forest department is contemplating on closing down the road during the night hours.

“We will soon place a proposal before the state government to issue orders to close down roads cutting across other national parks and sanctuaries, where alternate routes are available, at night’ said a senior forest department official.

Next, the lion-tailed macaque?
Another road which needs immediate attention is Mangalore- Chitradurga road- National Highway 13- which cuts across Kudremukh national park. The alternate route is from Beltangadi, Moodigere, Chickamagalur, to Tarikere and reach Bhadravathi.

“This will save commuters two of kms. This route is extremely vulnerable as Kudremukh houses a healthy population of lion-tailed macaque and tigers, which are listed under schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The lion-tailed macaque, unlike langurs, are arboreal and will be unable to cross the roads in the absence of canopies,” said Praveen Bhargav, managing trustee Wildlife First and member of National Board for Wildlife.

Alternative routeS from Gundlupet
The alternate routes for heavy duty vehicles from Gundlupet: Vehicles plying on NH-212 to Calicut will have to take Madikeri and Kannur route instead of Wynad. And the vehicles plying on NH-67 to Ooty need take Chamarajanagar, Satyamangala, Kotagiri routes instead of Sultanbateri.

The road through Bandipur tiger reserve is the second road where a road-closure order is prevailing for night hours. The first decision was taken for Mysore-Mananthawadi road—National Highway 17D— which cuts across Nagarhole tiger reserve. After a two-year long struggle orders were issued on July 11, 2007 to close the road during night hours.