BENGALURU: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday informed the Karnataka High Court that it is not widening the NH4-A from Khanapur to Londa in Belagavi district on the stretch falling within the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. It has stated it in the statement of objections filed before the division bench of Acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar.
The bench was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by environmentalist Suresh Heblikar and two others seeking directions to stop felling of about 22,000 trees for widening of NH4-A. Stating that the number of trees cleared/to be cleared is much lower, the NHAI said that the total number of trees to be felled is 19,040 and the number of trees cut till February 28, 2019 is 12,258.
The NHAI said, in the present case, the protected area is roughly 13.5 kms in the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary up to Anmond, the border of Karnataka-Goa and the acquisition of 6.423 hectares has been given up by NHAI. There will be no tree cutting or road widening in the protected area, where a tiger reserve and elephant reserve has been declared, it said.
The NHAI has also stated that as in the case of Bandipur Night Traffic Ban, a similar ban has been approved between 9pm to 6am in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. In case of this sanctuary, 5 elephant/tiger/animal underpasses have been sanctioned by NHAI, though the Karnataka Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) had recommended only one, it said.
In counter, during the hearing, advocate GR Mohan, representing the petitioner, argued that it is the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has to permit for widening the highway in tiger reserve and not the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Karnataka.