Activists say no to Bhimgad night traffic

Belagavi: Activists concerned by the number of wild animals dying in accidents on roads passing through  Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Belagavi and Kali Tiger Reserve in neighbouring Uttara Kannada are demanding a complete ban on night traffic in the two protected areas.

 Their worry is not unfounded as the Bhimgad sanctuary routinely sees leopards, sloth bears, the great Indian gaur, king cobra, spotted deer and jackals being killed on the 15 roads , including three state highways and one national highway, that pass through it. 

Although the district deputy commissioner and magistrate had banned traffic between 6 pm to 6 am through the sanctuary a couple of years ago, the forest department has relaxed the ban to allow traffic until 9 pm on the Hemmadaga- Sindhanooru state Highway (SH 30) that passes through these protected areas. 

But angered by the many animal deaths,  eco-friendly organisations from Belagavi and Goa are now demanding the  ban be re-introduced from 6 pm.   While the Belagavi DC issued his order banning night traffic through Bhimgad  in November 2015, the Uttara Kannada DC passed a similar order in December the same year. But confusion between revenue and forest officials and lack of coordination between officials of Belagavi and Uttara Kannada over the status of Hemmadaga -Sindhanur road, but not before cutting through  Bhimgad forests and Kali Tiger Reserve, led the Chief Conservator of Forests to relax the ban by three hours.    

Protesting the move, activist Giridhar Kulkarni, points out that the sub committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests has recommended banning night traffic in core/critical tiger habitats/national parks and sanctuaries in the interest of wildlife.