Karnataka has rebuffed the Centre’s plea to it to lift the ban on night traffic through Bandipur Tiger Reserve; it has also rejected the proposal for constructing elevated roads through the national park.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has clarified that the ban on vehicle movement in Bandipur during night time would continue. He made the government’s stand clear in the wake of various media reports on the issue of lifting the ban.
A communique from the Chief Minister’s office said the government had also taken a stand that construction of an elevated road in this area (Bandipur) too was not feasible.
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This is seen as a major but temporary reprieve for conservationists as the matter pertaining to night traffic ban through Bandipur is still pending in the Supreme Court.
The issue snowballed into a controversy following a communique by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways seeking Karnataka’s nod for lifting night traffic ban and approving a project to construct elevated roads or flyovers in Bandipur, which triggered outrage among conservationists.