Tunnel to make travel between Wayanad and Mysuru smoother

New Delhi: Reviving an old proposal, the Central Government has suggested a permanent solution to the long-standing night travel ban in Bandipur with a plan to construct a tunnel through the forest area.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of a tunnel beneath the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary.

Rejecting earlier proposals to build an elevated or alternative road through Bandipur, the Government has concluded that a tunnel is the best solution to avoid disrupting the sanctuary’s delicate ecosystem.

If implemented, the tunnel project would make travel between Wayanad, Mysuru and Bengaluru significantly smoother, lifting the decades-old restriction on night travel through the forest area.

In 2018, the Centre also proposed a similar tunnel project and agreed to constitute a technical committee comprising experts and environmentalists to study its pros and cons.

However, the project was shelved due to strong opposition from environmentalists, who argued that a tunnel through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve would cause irreparable damage to underground water resources and lead to widespread destruction of flora and fauna.

The latest revival of the tunnel proposal was announced by Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, during a meeting with John Brittas, Rajya Sabha member from Kerala recently.

Gadkari noted that the Kerala Government had earlier suggested an elevated highway. However, practical challenges raised by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, along with objections from the Karnataka Government, led to the rejection of that idea. The Centre now views the tunnel as a viable alternative.

Further elaborating, Gadkari instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide additional details about the project. The night travel ban currently applies to a 25-km stretch of NH-766, passing through Bandipur, from 9 pm to 6 am.

The proposed tunnel would bypass this section. With the Bandipur case under review, the Centre is expected to inform the Supreme Court about the tunnel project soon.

Alternative solutions have been explored in the past. These included a road via Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta leading to Mananthavady, elevated roads with animal overpasses through the tiger sanctuary and modifications to the existing highway.