BENGALURU: Following directions recently issued by the Madras High Court on closure of the Bengaluru-Coimbatore NH-958 at night, two roads passing through BRT Tiger Reserve are also likely to be closed.
The road connecting Bengaluru to Coimbatore passes through prime tiger reserve, and if the court orders are to be implemented in too, it needs to be carried out on the Karnataka side too, a senior forest official said.
"We are keen that roads through tiger reserves are closed at night. If the national highway passing through Sathyamangalam is closed, traffic will pile up at the gate on the Karnataka border, so the road this side should also be closed. The request will be sent to the state government for implementation," the official added.
In Karnataka, NH-209 passes through two stretches of BRT via Punajanur, along 19 km. If the Polipalya route is taken, it is 15 km.
Officials pointed out that the NHAI had applied for clearance from the forest department in 2021, seeking permission to undertake widening of NH-209 from the existing two-lane to four-lane, and is awaiting orders. "We were not keen to clear the file as we feel it is not required. If the road is to be closed as per the Madras HC, then the file stands cancelled," the official said.
Night traffic is banned through Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves, and the Kudlu-Ooty and Mysuru-Mananthwadi roads are closed. After BRT Tiger Reserve, the next that could be closed is Agumbe forest road.
"Closing of roads through national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is not new. It started in 2010 when then PM Manmohan Singh directed the NHAI and forest departments to find alternatives. In 2014, PM Narendra Modi issued a policy decision that no new roads will pass through national parks and wildlife sanctuaries," an expert working with the government explained.