Wildlife concerns vs political compulsions

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Karnataka had been opposing Kerala’s demand to lift the night ban. However, the current state government is now facing pressure from the Kerala Congress unit after party’s senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad constituency. The parliamentarian had promised to work towards lifting the night ban in the reserve, if elected.

The National Highway-766 -- which connects the two states -- passes through the tiger reserve. Of its 272 km, 117 km is in Kerala and 155 is in Karnataka. Over 19.7-km of the highway passes through the core area of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary.

In 2009, the Karnataka Government imposed a ban on the movement of vehicles inside the tiger reserve from 9 pm to 6 am. This decision was also upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019.

Notably, the Congress government in Karnataka recently withdrew an affidavit -- submitted to the Supreme Court -- which stated that the NH-766 stretch passing through the tiger reserve could be permanently closed once the proposed alternative road (state highway-88) was completed. The Karnataka Government had already spent Rs 75 crore on developing the alternate route (SH-88); but the affidavit had caused political discomfort for the Congress in Kerala.

It is learnt from sources in the Karnataka Forest Department that the affidavit was withdrawn after the Karnataka Government faced intense pressure from top leadership of the Kerala Congress.

Wildlife activist Joseph Hoover said, “Between 2004 and 2007, when there was no ban on night traffic inside the tiger reserve, 91 mammals from 14 species, 75 birds from 18 species and 56 reptiles from 16 species were killed by speeding vehicles.”

Hoover pointed out that this number was much higher than poaching in this period. But this number was significantly reduced after the night ban was imposed as only nine incidents of roadkill were reported between 2022 and 2024.

“A 90 per cent reduction in the number of roadkill after the ban on night traffic speaks volumes about its effectiveness in conserving the rich natural heritage of our country,” the activist added.

On Sunday, hundreds of citizens -- including farmers and wildlife activists -- took out a rally near Bandipur to support the night traffic ban inside the tiger reserve.

A former Director of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, T Balachander, said, “The ban on night traffic has not created any problem for the general public and played a crucial role in minimising deaths of wild animals due to road accidents. In case the ban was eased or lifted, the man-animal conflict was bound to increase in the area.”