The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed the Assam government not to permit traffic on six sections along the 54-km stretch of National Highway 37 passing through the Kaziranga landscape. These are used by the animals as corridors from/to the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape during peak animal activity hours from 5-7 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.
The NGT also directed the government to install cameras in all the six sections to ensure that vehicles passing through the area did not exceed the speed limit of 40 kph.
The Tribunal said no overloaded vehicles should be allowed to ply on the highway and proper records maintained on the number of vehicles that passed through the sector everyday.
The government was free to suggest any amount that should be payable by vehicles on the principle “polluter pays,” it added in its order.
