The National Highway 766 Transport Protection Action Committee is gearing up to launch an agitation from Wednesday raising a slew of demands including lifting of night traffic ban in the Bandipur portion of the Kozhikode-Kollegal NH 212 (new 766).
The organisation will launch an indefinite hunger strike with the support of a collective of youth organisations of all political parties at the Swathanthra Maithan at Sulthan Bathery. M.P. Veerendrakumar, MP, will inaugurate the agitation at 10 a.m. on the day. The crux of the issue revolves around the closure of night traffic through the portion of NH that passes through Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary.
The length of the highway is 272 km, and 34.6 km of this passes through the protected areas in both the States. The road cuts through 19.7 km of the core zone of Bandipur and 4.5 km of its buffer zone. In Wayanad, the division is 4.8 km of the core zone and 5.8 km of the buffer zone. In all, 24.2 km of the highway passes through protected areas in Karnataka, and 10.4 km through protected areas in Kerala.
However, Suresh Thaloor, general convener, National Highway 766 Transport Protection Action Committee, said the ban on traffic had already affected the public, especially the people in northern districts of Kerala as well as farmers, traders, and migrant workers in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
Alternative route
Moreover, the Supreme Court had recently directed the Centre to respond to its suggestion on developing an alternative route in the case pertaining to the closure of night traffic through Bandipur, Mr. Suresh said. If the proposal was implemented, it would worsen the situation, he added. Hence the status quo ante of the NH should be maintained, he said.
