Ban on night vehicular traffic in Bandipur forest upheld

The Karnataka High Court yesterday upheld a ban on movement of transport vehicles in Bandipur Forest area.

Two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) that challenged the order issued by Deputy Commissioner, Chamarajnagar by which an earlier notification relating to ban on transport vehicles in the Forest Area had been withdrawn.

The PILs came before a division bench, comprising justices V Gopala Gowda and B S Patil, who allowed the petition and quashed the Deputy Commissioner’s order. The bench also disposed of writ petitions filed by ten transporters and directed the state government to repair and make fit the alternate road for movement of transport vehicles during night within six months from yesterday.

The PILs were filed by people keen on protecting wildlife in Bandipur. The stretch of about 30 km passed through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and National Park, which needed to be protected, they contended.

According to the transporters, the Deputy Conservator of Forest by a letter dated January 23, 2009 had requested the Deputy Commissioner to ban transport in the forest area.

The Deputy Commissioner of Chamrajanagar had ordered a ban on vehicular movement on June 3, 2009, as a protective measure to prevent road kills of rare wildlife on the two busy stretches. But this order was withdrawn within seven days.

Challenging the withdrawal order in the High Court, the petitioners contended that the withdrawal was due to political pressure and to please truck owners. The petitioners reasoned that vehicular movement disturbed wildlife and had even led to the killing of hundreds of rare and endangered animals every year. By allowing vehicles along the stretches, the wildlife in the sanctuary near the roads up to 2 km would be disturbed, they contended.

- Asian Tribune -