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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: In a significant move to address the long-standing night travel ban in the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary, the Central Government has proposed the construction of a tunnel beneath the forest area. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this ambitious project.
Rejecting previous proposals for elevated or alternative roads through Bandipur, the government has determined that a tunnel is the most viable solution to avoid disrupting the wildlife sanctuary. This initiative aims to facilitate smoother travel between Wayanad, Mysuru, and Bengaluru while lifting the decades-old restriction on night travel through the forest area.
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Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, made the announcement during a meeting with Member of Parliament John Brittas. Brittas had intended to raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha but due to disruptions in the proceedings he was unable to do so, prompting Gadkari to detail the new proposal during their meeting.
Gadkari mentioned that the Kerala government had previously 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 this idea. Gadkari instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide more details on the proposed tunnel.
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Currently, the night travel ban applies to a 25-kilometre stretch of National Highway 766 which passes through Bandipur and the Supreme Court had imposed the Night Travel Ban on this part of the highway from 9 PM to 6 AM. The tunnel route will bypass this section. As the Bandipur case is under review, the Centre plans to inform the Supreme Court about the proposed tunnel project.
Several proposals for this route have been rejected which includes Alternative Road Via Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Kutta leading to Mananthavady, Elevated Road and Animal Overpasses through the tiger sanctuary area, and Existing Highway Solutions. A Supreme Court-appointed committee in 2018 recommended making the road accessible 24 hours a day. This included constructing five elevated road sections, one in Wayanad and four in Karnataka, each one kilometre long.
There are several examples too in the country where highways and expressways are crossing the reserve sanctuary and the latest example is Delhi-Dehradun expressway which crosses the Rajaji National Park via a 12-kilometer elevated wildlife corridor.
The Centre’s new proposal aims to preserve the integrity of the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary while facilitating safer and more efficient travel across the region. By implementing this tunnel project, the government seeks to balance environmental conservation with infrastructural development, ensuring that the natural habitat is not compromised.
