CHENNAI: Following intense arguments by petitioners and the Erode district administration, the Madras High Court (HC) has exempted vehicles for medical emergencies from the travel ban at night on the Bannari-Karapallam stretch of the Coimbatore-Bengaluru NH that runs through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).
The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, on Thursday, granted the relief by partially modifying its February-8 order. The bench directed the authorities concerned to install CCTV cameras at the entry and exit points of the 27-km stretch and wanted them to clarify whether CCTV cameras can be installed at every 5 km on the crucial road connecting Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The bench blamed the government officials and said they were slacking in performing their duty.
Submitting a status report, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran said about 83,000 people staying in villages surrounding the stretch were affected by the notifications made without proper and effective consideration.
Since the livelihood, economic activities and health care of lakhs of people belonging to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are in question, the matter needs wide and detailed analysis with all stakeholders, including government departments of both the states, to formulate a comprehensive solution, the status report sought.
Senior counsel AR L Sundaresan, representing a petitioner, contended that the district administration does not have jurisdiction as it is an NH and the night travel ban affects the fundamental right to free public movement.
NGR Prasad, appearing for ex-MLA PL Sundaram, said no public hearing was held before effecting the ban, which led to severe hardship to the public, particularly the tribal community. The wildlife and the humans have to co-exist, he said.
‘Affecting lakhs of people’
Economic activities and health care of lakhs of people belonging to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are in question. The matter needs wide and detailed analysis with all stakeholders