A 20-km stretch of National Highway-212 that cuts through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka will continue to remain out of bounds for traffic at night, DNA has learnt. This puts to rest the dispute between the environment and highways ministries over relaxing the restriction.
The Union environment ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority were in favour of continuing the night traffic ban, while the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) had sought relaxation on the ban to build elevated stretches and widen the highway.
NH-212 connects Karnataka and Kerala. Karnataka had opposed any relaxation in the 9pm-6am traffic ban. But Kerala was in favour of vehicular movement at night and had been pushing for relaxations along with MoRTH.
The decision to maintain status quo was recently taken at a meeting of a committee of secretaries under the Cabinet Secretariat, said sources in the environment ministry. It was the fallout of a petition in the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court's 2009 order banning night traffic on the highway. The HC order was aimed at curbing roadkill inside the park.
The Bandipur reserve is home to a large population of Asian elephants and over 100 tigers. The density of elephants in the tiger reserve is 1.13 per sq.km, which is second highest in the country. Besides, Mudumalai-Bandipur-Nagarhole-Wayanad complex holds the world's single largest tiger population currently estimated to be over 570 tigers.
The SC in January gave six weeks to the Centre to resolve the differences between the two ministries. Attorney General KK Venugopal had told the court that a committee of secretaries would be better placed to resolve the dispute.
During the meeting of the secretaries, the green ministry said that the proposal to upgrade the carriageway was not feasible and that it also went against the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act that seeks to keep critical wildlife habitats inviolate or free of human disturbances.
The ministry also said that Karnataka didn't favour an alternate route, which is 35-40km longer, said sources. MoRTH Secretary Yudhvir Singh Malik refused to comment on the issue when contacted by DNA.
The government will now present this view before the SC on March 12, when the case is likely to be listed for next hearing, as per SC website.
The difference of opinion had cropped up after MoRTH proposed to widen the highway from 10m to 15m and build a total of 5km of elevated stretches. Seeking relaxation in the ban, Malik had written to the Karnataka government last July that passageways would be built to facilitate wildlife movement.
ABOUT THE SANCTUARY
The Bandipur reserve is home to a large population of various animals, Asian elephants and over 100 tigers. The Mudumalai-Bandipur-Nagarhole-Wayanad complex holds the world’s single largest tiger population currently estimated to be over 570 tigers.
