New Delhi: Difference of opinion between Union Ministries of Road Transport and Environment on the night traffic ban at Bandipur Tiger Reserve came out in the open yesterday in the Supreme Court as Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the Apex Court that the Ministries must sort out the difference between them.

While the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has favoured the lifting of night traffic ban as demanded by Kerala government, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has opposed the move as it will have an adverse impact on the flora and fauna of the Tiger Reserve.

Venugopal told the SC that he would write to MoRTH and MoEFCC to sort out differences. Following his submission, the Supreme Court  deferred the matter for three weeks.

Since 2009, Kerala has been demanding Karnataka to lift the night ban imposed on the entry and exit of vehicles via the Tiger Reserve from 9 pm to 6 am. The ban, according to Kerala government, has hampered the State’s economy. At present, there is a ban on night traffic on NH-212 (now renamed as NH 766) that connects Karnataka to Kerala via Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar and on NH-67 that links Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

A Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Kerala government against the night traffic ban came up for hearing yesterday and Venugopal submitted that a committee formed following the Apex Court’s order of Jan. 10, 2018, had already given its report. “The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had divergent views. I would write to them to sort out the differences,” he said.

Kerala filed the SLP against the Karnataka High Court’s order of March 9, 2010, imposing the night traffic ban. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Project Tiger, Bandipur Division had in 2009, passed an order prohibiting all motor vehicles on NH 766.

MoRTH had suggested that the Court allow movement of transport vehicles 24×7 through Bandipur but only after developing elevated roads and the MoEFCC had not supported the proposal for elevated roads but suggested strengthening the alternative route via passing through Thithimathi-Gonikoppa-Kutta, Manandavadi and reach Kerala.

Yesterday, advocate G.R. Mohan, appearing for an NGO and a group of activists, submitted before the Court that the alternative route has already been developed. He sought a direction to enforce the traffic ban even during the day as it was having a detrimental impact on the wildlife habitat.

A report submitted to the Court in October last year stated that no consensus could emerge among the States of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the issue of lifting night traffic ban during deliberations by a committee. The committee was formed on Jan. 10 on the directions of the Apex Court following Venugopal’s suggestions.

The proposal to build four elevated corridors on National Highway 766 by the National Highway Authority of India as part of the Bharatmala project had united activists under the banner of ‘Save Bandipur.’ They held multiple protests against the move and under pressure, Karnataka government also opposed the elevated corridors.