Kerala wants night-traffic ban lifted; meeting today

BENGALURU: At a time when Karnataka is going to the polls, Kerala has raised the issue of opening the highways cutting through Bandipur Tiger Reserve for night traffic.
A related meeting in this regard will be held here on Tuesday, wherein officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and governments of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will deliberate on lifting the existing ban on night traffic through the tiger reserve.

The pressure from the Kerala government to lift the night ban comes despite the availability of an alternative route (longer by 35km). The alternative road, developed by Karnataka, has been in use for nine years now.

A senior official from the Karnataka forest department said Tuesday's meeting comes after a decision by a committee constituted to look into the issue on Supreme Court directions. "We will make our stand clear on the night-traffic ban as allowing it could be a nightmare for wildlife," said the official.

NH 212 (Gundlupete-Wayanad) and NH 67 (Gundlupete-Ooty) were closed for vehicular traffic from 9pm to 6am based on orders issued by the Karnataka high court on March 9, 2010, following petitions highlighting that travails caused to wild animals by heavy traffic.

Environmentalists, who have been backing the curb on night traffic, said wildlife deaths came down significantly after the ban came into effect. "Despite this fact and availability of an alternative road, vested interests in Kerala continue to pressure the Karnataka government to open the highways for night traffic. In addition, some Karnataka legislators with links to Kerala are also putting pressure on the government to toe the Kerala line," they allege. In the past, five meetings were held between he chief ministers of the two states, where Karnataka has declined to lift the night-traffic ban in the interest of wildlife conservation.