Following the Madras High Court order, the Forest Department has announced that vehicle movement during night hours in the Bannari-Dhimbam section passing through Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) will be banned from Thursday evening while toll will be collected from vehicles using the stretch during day time.
A circular sent by Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director, STR, said that based on the court’s order and the Erode District Gazette notification dated January 7, 2019, restrictions would be imposed on vehicle movement from February 10. The circular said movement of all heavy commercial vehicles would be banned from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Light commercial vehicles and four-wheelers won’t be permitted inside STR from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Forest Department will also collect toll from vehicles using the stretch. Exemption will be given to government vehicles, government and private buses, ambulances and recovery vehicles.
Toll for each category vehicles are: four-wheelers (₹20), vans (₹30), small trucks (₹20), six-wheelers (₹50), eight-wheelers (₹60), 10-wheelers (₹80) and 12-wheelers (₹100).
Officials said that toll would be collected at the forest check-posts at Bannari and Hasanur. A decision on allowing buses during night hours is under consideration.
