Animals do not speak for themselves, nor do they vote in elections. Environmentalists are up in arms against a perceived move to lift the night traffic ban on the Bandipur Tiger Reserve stretch of the National Highway-766, which could once again throw the wildlife under the wheels of speeding vehicles.
Published Mar 30, 2025 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 12, 2025 | 11:28 AM
The road passes through the core of the Tiger Reserve. (iStock)
Synopsis: The night traffic ban through the core Bandipur Tiger Reserve is once again in the news after Karnataka withdrew a counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court. Though the Karnataka government says that the status quo will be maintained, environmentalists are not convinced. They have vowed to fight any move to lift the ban that would be detrimental to the wildlife.
Ranga likely froze in his track as the bright light hurtled towards him. Before he could move to safety, the elephant was hit.
The elephant presented a heart-wrenching sight as he battled sore pain for about four hours before bleeding to death near Thithimathi on Mysuru-Gonikoppa Road.
Wildlife lovers in Karnataka still remember the date — 9 October 2018. Two years ago on Christmas day, Ranga — then known as Rowdy Ranga — was tranquilized and captured, ending his free run. The majestic tusker was shifted to Mathigodu, where he was tamed and trained for the Dasara procession.
Ranga — once Karnataka’s much-loved outlaw — had just finished foraging and was returning to the elephant camp when the speeding sleeper bus from Kannur in Kerala hit him around 2.30 am.
The elephant had a name and people crowded around him, providing him water and treatment during his final moments. Many mourned his premature death.
Other 286 animals that fell victim to vehicles speeding on a different stretch passing through Bandipur between 2005 and 2007 were less fortunate even in death.
National Highway-766 cuts through the core of the Bandipur National Park, spread over 868.63 square kilometres in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district. In 2009, Karnataka imposed a ban on night travel along the forest roads.
Kerala opposed the ban since NH-766 (previously NH-212) connected the Wayanad district with Mysuru. It has been since demanding Karnataka to lift the ban, which could save an additional 45 kilometres on an alternative route.
Karnataka, so far, has been rejecting Kerala’s demand. However, Kerala apparently saw an opportunity to reiterate the demand after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Wayanad constituency, and a Congress government under Siddaramaiah took charge of Karnataka.
The issue once again grabbed headlines after Karnataka withdrew a counter-affidavit Prabhakaran S, the Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, had submitted to the Supreme Court.
The counter affidavit was filed in response to an interlocutory application by Kerala-based Baiju Paul Mathews, demanding an increase in the number of buses plying through NH-766, especially during festivals and holidays.
Though the ban has been in force, Karnataka and Kerala had agreed to operate four state-owned each on the route at night.
Prabhakaran said in the affidavit that the NH-766 could be permanently closed once the proposed alternative State Highway-88 was completed. It was also mentioned that Karnataka had so far spent ₹75 crore on repairing the road.
“We developed this alternative road as an elevated road because it passes along the border of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve,” reports quoted from the counter-affidavit.
“Once the elevated road is completed, we can permanently close the existing NH-766 that passes through the core of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, allowing only emergency vehicles and minimal local traffic,” it added.
Further, the counter-affidavit included data on the night travel ban’s positive impact on Bandipur’s wildlife.
Kerala, especially the ruling CPI(M), strongly criticised the counter-affidavit. The Left party even accused Priyanka Gandhi and the Congress of double standards.
After the counter-affidavit was filed, Karnataka’s Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre held a meeting in Bengaluru on 23 March and decided to maintain the status quo.
The meeting also decided to withdraw the affidavit and file a fresh one since, according to Gundlupet MLA HM Ganesh Prasad, the official was not “designated as the legal conducting officer in the matter”.
Karnataka has now decided to present a fresh affidavit, incorporating the latest data.
Even before the counter-affidavit was filed in the Supreme Court, Congress leaders including Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had made statements about lifting the night travel ban.
He was speaking at a bypoll campaign in Wayanad in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi in November 2024. Shivakumar said all necessary steps would be initiated to lift the night travel ban.
Shivakumar then argued that the ban has been inconveniencing many interstate travellers and students.
Following the counter-affidavit and its withdrawal, reporters asked Shivakumar whether Priyanka Gandhi had written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, requesting the lifting of the ban. He did not confirm nor deny the letter.
“Yes, we will think over it, discuss the issue, and arrive at a decision,” he replied.
Environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts are a worried lot. They felt that the ground was being prepared to lift the night travel ban.
They wondered why wildlife should compromise for the selfish needs of humans, who could change their travel schedules.
The Opposition BJP in Karnataka, too, expressed suspicion that the Congress would lift the travel ban.
“The Congress’s loyalty to Delhi High Command once again comes at the cost of Karnataka. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre is now pushing to lift the night traffic ban, a move scripted in 10, Janpath Delhi.”
Politicians opposing the move claimed that the discussion on lifting the night ban came up after Priyanka Gandhi’s victory in Wayanad, bordering Karnataka.
Vijayendra questioned whether Karnataka was being governed from the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru or 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi.
Daniel Sukumar Das, an environmentalist and former director of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, criticised the Karnataka government. He said any plan to lift the night travel plan would be opposed.
He recalled the pre-ban days. “Environmentalist Rajkumar Devaraje Urs and I were conducting a bird survey in the Bandipur forest in 2005. We came across a hurt and limping spotted deer. It was hit by a speeding vehicle which passed through the forest road at night. Rajkumar treated the animal, and set it free,” he said.
Das also mentioned a mother langur that approached them holding a bloodied infant, as if to seek help.
“It left the baby in front of us and looked at our faces as if asking whether we could save the baby. But the baby was already dead. Speeding vehicles run over these animals during the night. That’s when we thought this was a serious issue and we approached the forest department,” he said.
Das said the Karnataka forest department allowed them to conduct a study on roadkill.
“We compiled a report on roadkill between 2005 and 2007 and submitted it to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Bandipur, and District Commissioner, Chamarajanagar. We provided photographic evidence as well. A relief was provided by banning the traffic from 9 pm to 6 am,” he stated.
The relief, however, was short-lived. The district commissioner, who had imposed the ban, lifted it under political and public pressure.
“There were public protests against the ban,” Das recalled.
Later, the DCF filed a case in the High Court of Karnataka saying that the District Commissioner was right in clamping the ban on night traffic. He requested the court to uphold the night-time restriction on the road.
“We submitted evidence before the court. Following the court’s order, a night traffic ban was imposed in 2009,” Das spoke about the developments that led to prohibition. The Wildlife Conservation Foundation was a party in the case.
Environmentalists, who fought for the ban, said the bright headlights of vehicles blinded the animals crossing the road.
“That’s when these animals are hit and killed. While some die at the same spot, others crawl to the roadside and die. Later, they are eaten by other animals. We have seen the death of bigger animals including tiger, leopard, and an oil tanker mowing down an elephant,” Das said.
Kerala challenged the ban in the Supreme Court. Karnataka stood its ground and argued for the ban — and wildlife.
Meanwhile, Das and Urs continued their study. This time they looked into the impact of the night travel on Bandipur’s wildlife.
“We collected information through video recording, and photos to know the movement of animals — where they crossed the road and how often, where the tigers fed, etc. We also got footage of an elephant giving birth on the road,” he said.
“During the night hours, the wildlife started using the road as part of their territory. Unlike human beings, where we get all basic facilities in one place, animals don’t have that privilege. These animals have to cross roads for drinking water, mating, etc,” Das explained.
“If they are restricted to one particular place or territory, then it will lead to an imbalance,” Das said, adding that more biologists and researchers submitted their study findings and evidence to the Supreme Court.
In August 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the high court ruling favouring the night travel ban on NH-766. The court also suggested the Karnataka government develop an alternative route to Kerala.
According to the directions, the state government developed an alternative route connecting Virajpet with Kannur via Kutta.
The Supreme Court also allowed eight buses to ply during night hours, four each from Karnataka and Kerala.
“It is always Kerala that has a problem with the night traffic ban. Tamil Nadu never had a problem. They too close the gates of Mudhumalai Forest on their side,” Das said.
Urs is still engaged in wildlife conservation as a managing trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation (WCF).
Throwing some light on wildlife casualties between 2005 and 2007, he said, “286 animals, including cheetah, leopard, elephant, and other mammals were killed. The list is separate for birds and reptiles,” he told South First.
“We observed that the number of roadkills was more than poaching. While I can’t give an exact number of roadkills in recent times, it has reduced by 10 percent compared to what it was before the ban,” he added.
Urs suggested against politicising the issue. “The entire ecosystem of fresh air and water that we get is because of these trees, forests, and wildlife. So there should be no going back and lifting the night ban or compromising on the decision at any cost,” he opined.
Environmental Joseph Hoover said many animals were being killed under the wheels on the Ooty and Bandipur routes.
“WCF’s five-year study helped in submitting evidence before the court. The Supreme Court also took into cognizance the report submitted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The report mentioned that Bandipur is a core tiger habitat and should be considered as an inviolable area, critical to wildlife habitat,” Hoover said.
Hoover alleged that some influential people in Kerala wanted the ban lifted since the route was used for smuggling.
“Kerala is so keen because it is easy to smuggle the excess sugar produced in the mills. It goes to Kozhikode and the ports via Bandipur and Sulthan Bathery. From ports, it is sent to Dubai. Even the illegal sand and hawala money are transported through this route. Just to please some politician, we cannot risk the future of everybody else,” Hoover said.
The environmentalist’s claim of smuggling could not be independently verified.
“It (lifting the ban) will be ecologically destroyed. There is hardly four percent left in the state for wildlife and the politicians want to grab even that also from the animals. If the government lifts the ban, we will hit the roads in protest. We will not let it happen,” he asserted.
Punati Sridhar, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka, has witnessed the impact of the night traffic ban.
“The night traffic ban on the national highway must continue. Let us not see it from a data point of view on the reduction in the number of roadkills. Let us see it from the wildlife point of view. With this ban, the wildlife in the area can roam freely at night,” he said.
“Though eight buses ply from both states, there is a gap of half an hour for these animals to move from one place to another. Not just bigger animals, even the tiniest mammal have to walk kilometres in search of water or food. In such cases, the ban has come as a lifesaver,” the wildlife expert said.
“The pressure from Kerala is not new to Karnataka. Earlier, whenever this issue was raked up, the former forest ministers allowed us to present our evidence and data to the court and even allowed the officials to speak to the opposite party in the meetings,” Sridhar added.
Incidentally, the ban got support from Kerala’s Forest Department. Mohammed Anwar, Divisional Forest Officer, Biodiversity Cell, Kerala Forest Department, said he was for the wildlife and night traffic ban must continue.
“It is during the night that the animals can move around freely. These regulations are in place to conserve wildlife. Only then, the ecosystem will be in proper balance,” he said.
Forest Minister Khandre was non-committal regarding the perceived move to lift the ban. After a meeting with senior Congress leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, on Friday, 28 March, the minister said a decision would be made later.
“The Bandipur forest issue is a highly sensitive one and we will arrive at a decision after discussing with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Appropriate decisions will be taken after discussion with the stakeholders and also considering the relationship between Karnataka and Kerala,” he said.
“A private party from Kerala approached the Supreme Court after 15 years, seeking a revocation of the ban. This is a new interlocutory application in the Supreme Court. Therefore, we are going to file a counter-affidavit. The court will take a call,” he added.
When asked if the government would adhere to the Congress high command’s decision, the minister said such speculations were made whenever the Bandipur issue was in the news.
“Even when Priyanka Gandhi contested the election in Wayanad, this issue was raked up. Back then, I had made my stance clear on not lifting the night ban,” he said.
NH-766 connects Kozhikode in Kerala with Kollegal in Karnataka via Mysore and Gundlupet. According to government records, a significant portion of the 19.7 km highway passes through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Traffic through the alternative route, Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Katikulam, too, has been restricted. This route adds 30 minutes to the travel time.
NH-766 forks at Gundlupet, with NH-766 proceeding to Kerala and the NH-67 connecting Gundlupet with Ooty in Tamil Nadu. The NH-766 is an important route to the landlocked Wayanad.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
