BENGALURU:  The Centre has finally made its stand clear and said that the elevated road, proposed to come up in Bandipur Tiger Reserve to overcome the night traffic ban from 9pm to 6am, has not been approved.Making this statement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Mahesh Sharma said the corridor proposal comprising elevated structures at four regular intervals, as suggested by the Union Ministry of Road Transport, has not been concurred with.

The government of Karnataka had opposed construction of the road or lifting of the nine-hour night traffic ban on NH-212, that passes through Bandipur Tiger Reserve. In fact, we have suggested strengthening of the alternative route passing through Thithimathi-Gonikoppa-Kutta,” he added.

Welcoming the Centre’s clarification, wildlife activists said, “Once  and for all, Kerala can stop making such unsustainable demands of either building elevated corridors in a tiger reserve, or lifting of the night traffic ban. In fact, the nine-hour ban should be increased to 12 hours, as it will benefit wildlife movement. The present ban has already helped decrease roadkill on this important road stretch that connects to Kerala.

The existing movement of buses to and from the two states at night is sufficient, as passenger movement is only 50%, compared to day time. Even timber smuggling has decreased because of the night traffic ban, and overall, crime activities have come down, as police statistics show,” they added.

It may be recalled that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had made a submission before the Supreme Court on the opening of NH-212 at night, by constructing four elevated corridors, 1km in length each, with humps and road signage. They had also suggested broadening of the highway by 15 metres, with two carriageways and a steel wall. 

However, opposing any such move, the state government clarified in the Supreme Court that an alternative road (Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Mananthavady) was developed at a cost of `75 crore only on Kerala’s request. Further, based on Karnataka High Court orders, the alternative road was repaired too. Forest officials added that increasing the ban hours from 9 hours to 12 hours would benefit this reserve as it was an important tiger habitat.

Further, with a Save Bandipur Campaign launched across Karnataka, environmental groups and activists had opposed the Centre’s suggestion of lifting of the ban and building an elevated corridor. Activists from Kerala and Tamil Nadu who supported the night traffic ban said Bandipur being part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; they were totally against the Centre’s elevated road proposal as it was harmful to both the wildlife and its habitat.