BENGALURU: A city-based advocate and a law student have moved the Karnataka High Court by filing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the authorities to take immediate steps to ban night traffic between 6 pm and 6 am on the 11 km stretch on State Highway-90 (Mysuru-Virajpet Road near Matthigodu elephant camp), which passers through Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.  

Hearing the petition, a division bench of acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar ordered a notice to the authorities of State and Centre. The authorities are chief secretary, secretaries, Department of Forest and Environment, Department of Public Works (PWD), principal chief conservator of forests, deputy commissioners of Kodagu and Mysuru, and secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Contending that authorities have failed their legal obligation to ensure that elephants are provided with a safe environment for habitation, the petitioners - advocate HC Prakasha, resident of Rajajinagar, and A M Mahesh, a law student from Hebbal - have also prayed the court to issue directions to the PWD to take up work on bypass roads/alternative roads to the present 11 km stretch.

During the hearing, advocate Nalina Mayegowda argued that the forest department has constituted a technical expert committee in March 2018 to investigate into the deaths of elephants, and to suggest concrete measures to prevent elephant mortality in the state. But the committee has not held a single meeting, she argued. 

Tusker Ranga hit by speeding bus

Petitioners have also quoted the example of the death of tusker Ranga while explaining the harm vehicular movement causes to animals. Ranga was hit by a speeding bus on October 8, 2018, near Matthigodu elephant camp.