Heavy Vehicles in Kawal Tiger Reserve Only During Day With Toll

Adilabad: The Telangana State Wildlife Board (TSWB) has, in principle, approved the passage of heavy vehicles through the Kawal Tiger Reserve during daytime while prohibiting their entry at night. Under the new guidelines, heavy vehicles are permitted to traverse the reserve between 6 am and 6 pm from the Mancherial, Adilabad, and Nirmal sides, subject to a toll of up to Rs 1,500 per vehicle.

The TSWB has delegated the final decision-making authority to Chief Wildlife Warden Elusing Meru, who is tasked with balancing the need for wildlife protection with the operational requirements of local transport.

During the meeting, which was attended by minister for forests Konda Surekha along with other senior officials including principal secretary for forest and environment Ahmad Nadeem and PCCF R.M. Dobriyal, the issue of heavy vehicle restrictions and local protests was a key agenda item. Local communities have expressed concerns that current restrictions are hampering development in areas such as Jannaram and Khanapur, prompting political leaders like Khanapur MLA Vedma Bojju to raise the matter with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other officials.

Officials also noted that some lorry drivers have been opting for the Kawal Tiger Reserve route to avoid tolls on NH-44 between Adilabad and Nirmal. They warned that any adjustments to the toll structure might prompt drivers to choose the NH-44 route instead.

In addition to the toll provisions, discussions at the meeting included proposals to restrict heavy vehicles with more than 10 tyres and enforce the daytime-only passage to safeguard the reserve’s wildlife.