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Environmentalists oppose NHAI proposal to widen NH in Bandipura Tiger Reserve
Bandipura Tiger Reserve
Environmentalists are opposing the NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) proposal to widen the national highway from Melukamanahalli to Kekkanahalla check post in Bandipura Tiger Reserve (BTR).
Chamarajanagara: Environmentalists are opposing the NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) proposal to widen the national highway from Melukamanahalli to Kekkanahalla check post in Bandipura Tiger Reserve (BTR).
The NHAI submitted proposal to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests that the 12.8-km road passing through the tiger reserve will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore for which 9.5 hectares of forest area would be needed to be acquired.
The Bandipura Tiger Reserve comes under Gundlupet-Coimbatore division of NHAI. Two highways connecting Tamil Nadu and Kerala pass through BTR.
The forest department closes the road after 9 pm daily as noise from vehicles affects wildlife. The Kerala government is repeatedly pressuring Karnataka government to allow vehicles during night, but the stringent forest laws do not permit night journey in protected forests.
The NHAI move to widen the road has attracted resistance from wildlife activists and environmentalists as the sub-committee on framing guidelines for roads in protected areas recommended in 2013 that the status quo of the roads passing through national parks and core critical tiger habitats "shall remain the same" and should be maintained or repaired in their "current form and width". As per the ESZ notification for Bandipur dated October 4, 2012, widening of roads comes under regulated category and can be done provided there was a proper Environment Impact Assessment besides mitigatory measures.
Speaking to The Hans India, environmentalist Punajanur Doreswamy said that the NHAI acting against guidelines of forest conservation Act and Wildlife Board. He said the impact of road widening would be very bad on the wildlife and government should not permit this project. Wildlife expert Sanjay Gubbi said that BTR is haven for tigers and elephants. Only one percent of such zoological areas are left in the country. He said the area is the basin for Kapila and Moyar rivers, Kabini and Nugu reservoirs. He said the Union government should not give permission to this project to ensure protection of wildlife and water security.
BTR director S R Natesh said that he has not received any information about the NHAI proposal. He said there is no provision in the law for diversion of forest.
He said he would submit defects of the project to the higher authorities after he received the proposal.
