Rahul Gandhi wants Bandipur night traffic ban lifted, wildlife activists irked
Bengaluru: Wildlife activists are outraged over the demand by outgoing Congress President and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on his call to lift the night traffic ban on movement through Bandipur National Park and said it cannot be done as the Supreme Court was seized of the matter.
Mr Gandhi, in an unstarred question in Lok Sabha, has asked whether the union government is aware of the hardships caused to a large number of people living in North Malabar due to continuation of the night traffic ban on National Highway-212 through the Bandipur National Park. Further, he wanted to know whether the centre proposes to mediate by finding out an alternative way to lift this ban without disturbing the wildlife or proposes to consider the proposal to construct an elevated corridor through the national park to avoid any disturbance to wildlife. He also sought to know whether the centre is ready to amicably find a solution by calling a meeting of chief ministers of Kerala and Karnataka.
In reply, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had said ban on night traffic from 9 pm to 6 am on NH-766 (old NH-212) through Bandipir National Park was imposed by the district collector, Chamarajanagar, Karnataka on June 3, 2009 which was upheld by high court of Karnataka on March 9, 2010.
Special Leave Petition was filed by Transport Department of Kerala against the decision of the Karnataka High Court on banning of night traffic. An expert committee under chairmanship of Secretary, Road Transport and Highways was constituted by the Supreme Court for sorting out the issue.
Going further, he had said a meeting of the committee of secretaries chaired by the union cabinet secretary was held on February 18, 2019, wherein it was recommended that the status quo should be maintained on restriction of night-time traffic through Bandipur NationalPark, as it is a core area of wildlife habitat and an alternative route is already available for night time traffic and four buses and emergency vehicles are already permitted through the national park.
Mr Praveen Bharghav, an wildlife activist and former member, National Wildlife Board told Deccan Chronicle that he was amused as he had met Mr Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Nagarhole in 2008 when he had appreciated conservation activities. If national parks and wildlife were safe, the credit goes to Ms Indira Gandhi who formulated Wildlife Protection Act, and steps taken by Mr Rajiv Gandhi. The ban on night traffic had been in force since 2010 and alternative route had been built for the vehicular movement. Even the Ministry of Transport and Highways had opined that there should be no highway construction through national parks and sanctuaries. In 2010, National Wildlife Board had met under chairmanship of then PM Dr Manmohan Singh and had taken a decision not to construct or widen national highways that passes through national parks as it would cause damage to wild animals. The meeting had favored constructing bypasses away from national parks to avoid disturbances to habitats. In the subsequent board meeting, a sub-committee was constituted which recommended no new highways or expansion or widening that passes through wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The recommendations had been given to union government in this regard. "According to me, it is a settled matter. Ban on night traffic cannot be lifted at any cost", he said.
