BENGALURU: Even as the National Highway (NH) 209 is being widened from Harohalli to Chamrajanagar, a proposal to build overpasses or underpasses when it passes through the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve has raised the ire of wildlife activists.
However, the Forest Department says the widening is only till the borders of the Protected Area (PA) while the flyover proposal is part of the ‘mitigation plan’ approved for the tiger reserve.
A wildlife activist said, “Strangely, this proposal has come from local officials. Although the widening of NH-209 is going on, it was decided not to take up in BRT. Under such circumstances, the proposal to construct flyovers leads to doubts behind the motive. Further, it is mandatory to get permission from the state and national wildlife boards, NTCA and PCCF (wildlife). However, the KFD which is entitled to safeguard the interests of wildlife by following the law seems to be breaking it.”
However, officials clarify that there is no widening of NH-209 up to the borders of the Tiger Reserve. There is only a proposal for underpass or overpass depending on the landscape for wildlife to pass on this road safely.
A senior forest official said, “This is as per the mitigation plan for wildlife when the EIA (environmental impact assessment) was done for this project as per the Wildlife Protection Act. Permission has been sought from the PCCF to build small flyovers or underpasses with barricades for safe wildlife movement across this road.”