New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday directed the continuation of the overnight traffic ban on the National Highway (NH) running through the core area of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. A Bench of Justice Rohinton Nariman and Surya Kant asked the Centre to come up with a permanent solution which would keep the endangered species away from harm by exposing them to Highway traffic. 

The Court also “agreed in principle” that the traffic on roads passing through the buffer zone of the protected areas, should not be permitted. “What needs to be done is the strengthening of an alternative route. Therefore, we direct the Union Government’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Forest to file an affidavit within four weeks with suggestions on the closure of it in long run,” the Bench said. 

The Court relied upon the suggestions were given by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and other experts views for the continuance of the ban on traffic between 9 pm and 6 am on the NH-212, saying, “we need to accept it at present.”

The Court said it is a necessity to accept the recommendation of NTCA. Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta said NH is not a thoroughfare for holidayers. Much-needed essential supplies from Mysuru to Kerala go through it. The ban affected flow of inter-State trade, commerce and tourism. 

Senior advocate Basava P. Patil representing Karnataka submitted that an alternative route is being developed at a cost of approximately over Rs. 70 crore. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu supported the ban in order to protect the wildlife and ecology while Kerala resisted it, saying the restriction on traffic affected tourism, trade, health and business.

Senior advocate Harish Salve intervened to contend that sanctuaries and tiger reserves must be protected and going the extra mile would cause no harm. The Bench said, “We are of the view that what we are dealing with is nothing less than core area of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, a major Tiger Reserve.”

The Court noted that the road in NH-212 passing through Kollegal to Kozhikode via Mysuru was a core area. The Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Division, Project Tiger, Bandipur Division of Chamarajanagar district had on June 3, 2009 passed an order under the Motor Vehicle Act, prohibiting traffic of motor vehicles of all kinds on NH-212 between Gundlupet and Sulthan Batheri and on NH-67 between Gundlupet and Ooty.