Mysuru: Following severe backlash from environmental groups over Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and PWD Minister H.D. Revanna’s consent to Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to revoke the night traffic ban through Bandipur Tiger Reserve, the State Government appears to have dropped the proposal.
The traffic is banned on the highway from 9 pm to 6 am to avoid road kills and reduce disturbance to wildlife.
Forest Minister R. Shankar told reporters in Mysuru this morning that the government will maintain the status-quo and will not buckle under pressure either from Kerala or from the Union Ministry. Shankar was in city this morning to perform pujas to Goddess Chamundeshwari atop the Chamundi Hill on the auspicious occasion of third Ashada Shukravara and Chamundeshwari Vardhanti Mahotsava.
The Minister was questioned by the media both at Government Guest House where he had stayed last night and at Chamundi Hill. The Centre has claimed to have obtained the consent of the Kumaraswamy and Revanna to revoke the ban on night traffic on National Highway 212 (now NH 766) cutting through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
“We are committed to maintaining status-quo on the issue and will not revoke the ban despite pressure. I have already made my stand clear and there is no confusion here either with the CM or the PWD Minister. There will be no flyovers and elevated roads via Bandipur as proposed by the Kerala Government and the Union Ministry,” he said.
“Following the directions of the Karnataka High Court, Karnataka had imposed a ban on night traffic while allowing emergency vehicles and four state-run buses to ply, which the neighbouring Tamil Nadu has also supported. It is only the Kerala government which has been pressuring the State government to allow night traffic,” he said.
Forest Minister R. Shankar seen watering “Kotte Sai” sapling at the Government Guest House in city this morning as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Punati Sridhar, Chief Conservator of Forests Ambadi Madhav, DCF Hanumanthappa and others look on.
First Kerala petitioned the High Court that was rejected and it has moved Supreme Court where the hearing is pending. Now, the Kerala lobby is influencing the Centre to exert pressure on Karnataka to toe its line. We will not allow this to happen,” he added.
The Minister said that he has already written to CM Kumaraswamy making his and Forest Department’s stand clear not to lift the night traffic ban. “I have mentioned in the letter that if we succumb to pressure from the Centre, the move will prove a death knell for the wildlife, especially the tigers in Bandipur which is a UNESCO-recognised National Park,” he said.
On specific questions regarding Minister Revanna’s statement that flyovers will be built via Bandipur to facilitate movement of vehicles, Shankar said that it will take crores of rupees and at least three years for the civil works to complete.
“What we will gain ultimately is the destruction of flora and fauna. We will be causing irreparable damage to the environment,” he said and added that the government, the CM and the Ministers were united to protect Karnataka’s interests.
Kerala to move Supreme Court
Meanwhile, reports from Thiruvananthapuram this morning said that the Kerala Government will approach the Supreme Court again seeking exemption for inter-State vehicles, especially buses of the Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC), from the ban on night traffic on National Highway 766 passing through the Bandipur National Park.
At a meeting chaired by Kerala Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran and Forest Minister K. Raju at the Secretariat yesterday, it was decided to seek the services of Senior Counsel Gopal Subramanian to take up the State’s demand when the case comes before the Supreme Court on August 6.
Law Secretary B.G. Hareendranath was authorised to take appropriate action.
The State will also seek permission for allowing buses of the State transport undertaking and goods carriers to pass through the highway stretch on convoy basis, sources said.
This post was published on August 3, 2018 6:58 pm