BENGALURU: BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya urged the Karnataka government not to come under pressure from Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Kerala lobby to lift the night traffic ban in Bandipur. The state should remain committed to wildlife protection, but instead of prioritising conservation, the Congress government appears to be focused on pleasing the Congress first family, the MP said.
Citing a study by the Wildlife Conservation Foundation that documented 286 wildlife deaths due to collisions with vehicles in Bandipur between 2005 and 2007, Siroya said the night traffic ban introduced by Karnataka in 2009 proved effective in reducing wildlife fatalities. Between 2010 and 2018, roadkills in Bandipur dropped to just 34. In 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the ban after Kerala petitioned for lifting it, he added.
The MP said recent developments suggest growing efforts to lift the night traffic ban in Bandipur Tiger Reserve. “In November 2024, DCM DK Shivakumar’s comments advocating for a relaxation of the restrictions ignited concern. This was further fuelled by Priyanka’s letter, urging the ban’s reconsideration, followed by the Karnataka government’s withdrawal of a counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court. These moves have sparked fears that the Congress-led government in Karnataka may be yielding to political pressure to lift the crucial ban,” he said.