Restriction on Highways - Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Why in news?

The Centre has asked Karnataka the consent to allow night traffic on the highway passing through Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

What and why is the current restriction?

• The National Highway (NH) 212 cuts through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
• Speeding vehicles on the highway were taking a toll on the reserve’s animals.
• This included tigers, elephants and several other endangered species.
• Karnataka High Court thus, in 2010, banned traffic between 9 pm and 6 am through the highway.
• Road kills have dropped by nearly six times after it was imposed.
• Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has imposed a similar measure in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

What is the contention?

• The Kerala government has contested the restriction, in the Supreme Court.
• It said it was an inconvenience to those travelling from Wayanad (Kerala) to Karnataka and also hampering the state’s economic development.
• However, the Karnataka High Court order does offer a middle path.
• It suggests an alternate road to the standards of NH 212 to take care of Kerala’s concerns.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority has also spoken in favour of such a solution.
• This is an ongoing case in the Supreme Court.

What is the Centre's proposal?

• Before the arrival of SC judgement, the Centre now tries to relax this ban.
• The Centre has asked the Karnataka government to give consent to open the road 24×7 with certain mitigation measures.
• The proposal included elevating the road over four 1-km stretches to provide wildlife passageways below.
• It also proposes to fence the entire highway passing through the reserve with 8-foot-high steel wire barriers.
• Rationale - The argument for not going for a new alternative road is that it would be 30 km longer and pass through hilly terrain.
• It thus increases travel time, fuel consumption, and pollution.
• Also, it is argued that as traffic endangers wildlife even during the day, fencing and passageways are a better idea.

What are the larger concerns?

• Plan - Underpasses are unlikely to suffice in dense wildlife-rich forests where too many animals compete for space.
• For territorial animals, just four openings in a 24-km stretch may not suffice.
• They may have to use a passageway in their neighbour’s territory to move between two halves of its territory (split by the highway).
• This may endanger them through the resultant habitat and prey loss.
• Threat - Roads, railway lines and irrigation canals become barriers that hinder wildlife movement.
• This is especially worse at night when bright headlights blind even swift species like cats.
• This, in turn, contributes to habitat loss, fragmenting wildlife populations and restricting their gene flow.
• Global examples - Roads have destroyed tropical rainforests in South America, Asia and Africa too.
• Though under severe pressure, the Amazon rainforests still hold over 1 million sq km of no-go zones.
• In North America and Europe, where road network is extensive and wildlife density lower, wildlife passageways are more common.
• Such features are seen in Malaysia and Kenya as well, and in South Africa, night traffic is prohibited.

What is the policy in this regard?

• National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is the apex advisory body to the central government on all wildlife-related matters.
• In 2013, the NBWL objected to any new roads through protected forests.
• It was however open to the widening of existing roads only if alternative alignments were not available.
• It nevertheless mandated adequate mitigation measures irrespective of the cost.
• The government accepted this as the policy in 2014.
• Recently, the NBWL made it mandatory for every road/rail project proposal to include a wildlife passage plan.
• This has to be as per guidelines framed by Wildlife Institute of India.
• However, passageways have their own limitations in dense forests.

What lies ahead?

• Based on Karnataka’s response to the Centre's request, an earlier appointed committee will finalise and submit its report before the Court.
• It is to be assessed if the 3okm alternative road is an unaffordable economic burden or a minor concession necessary.

Source: Indian Express