It is an eternal demand of motorists that Bangalore roads and highways be well-tarred for a smooth and fast ride. But here’s a contradictory demand from conservationists and nature lovers, especially with regard to national highways 212 and 67.
These two highways cut through the Bandipur National Park, and conservationists are proposing that officials place several speed-breakers on these roads. This, they say, will slow down vehicles and ensure that animals are safe in their habitat.
An increasing number of animal deaths in the region due to speeding vehicles recently found the Karnataka high court banning traffic movement in the reserve from 9 pm to 6 am, drawing flak from several transport companies.
Rajkumar D, managing trustee of Wildlife Conservation Foundation, said that there were five road humps on NH-67 that extended for 12.5km from Gundlupet to Gadalur, while the 17.5-km stretch of NH-212 from Maddur to Moolehole had only two humps. However, these were rumblers made of rubber, and were placed on perfectly tarred roads.
He said that at least 11 speed-breakers made of strong, long-lasting material needed to be placed along these stretches at strategic points on animal crossing paths, which would ensure limited animal deaths on the highways.
He was speaking to DNA on the sidelines of a media interaction on the need for a night ban at Bandipur. Following a high court order, a team of eight conservationists monitored animal movement along the highways at night in six different locations.
The team spotted at least 1,400 animals, against an earlier count of less than 700 animals.
Between 2004 and 2007 alone, 91 animal deaths due to vehicles were reported from the region, including those of elephants, tigers, leopards, spotted deer and sloth bears. In the last 10 days, a barking deer and a mouse deer came under the wheels of vehicles traversing through Bandipur. Rajkumar said that currently only vehicles of the Karnataka and Kerala transport departments, and emergency vehicles plied along these highways at night.
Hence, the presence of speed-breakers would help reduce animal deaths to a large extent, he said.
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