Closing roads through National Parks - Not correct
In Karnataka, two roads have been closed at Night times.
1. The Mysore Mananthavaadi Highway (Kabini) through Nagarhole
2. The road cutting through Bandipur (to Ooty and to Sulthan Bathery).
The solution is not in closing the roads especially in the absence of alternate roads. There has to be a way to curtail speed of vehicles passing through. Also the drivers have to be educated first, warned subsequently and punished severly for repeated violations.
Closing the road at nites does open up new issues which the authorities do not consider.
Few issues are:
1. Vehicles reach entry points in the evening especially the ones that come early bribe the guards and go thro the park, creating income opportunities for forest guards and officials.
2. Other vehicles all queue up in the nite. The drivers and cleaners all team up to form a club to play cards and booze creating an opportunity at the edge of a protected area, while waiting for the park gate to open in the morning. They also create a market for venison and other forest meat to be served to them while they are spending the nite near the forest.
3. When the gate opens in the morning at 6 am, there is a sudden rush of trucks and vehicles trying to overtake each other. Sometimes the queue of vehicles are so long that the animals cannot use/cross the road for few hours. Large mammals and cats are still active in the mornings. So whats the point in allowing the traffic at 6 am if they cannot be allowed in the nite?
The correct way of doing it is to build speed barriers and constant monitoring and education. The forest officials are incapable of doing these things. The easiest is for them to close the park and inconvenience common man.Closing the highway is against the principles outlined in the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. The Act gives right-of-way to humans on roads cutting through parks.
Recently the government closed the MM Road through kabini between 6PM and 6AM based on complaints and representations filed by NGOs, conservationists etc. Subsequently the CEC and the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India made it an order to close the road in the nite. The orders were based on CEC inspection and facts provided by NGOs and Conservationists on animal deaths on this particular road. Under RTI, I applied to the PCCF of Karnataka and asked him to provide me with the details of all animal deaths on MM road for the last 10 years. To my surprise I found that the forest department had record for only one death of a spotted deer that too at 10.00 am in the morning!!!
All the claims of conservationists that tigers and elephants were found dead on Mysore Mananthavaadi Highway is false. This means that have provided wrong information to the authorities. How come the forest department has no record of any death on this road?
I have a letter signed by the DCF of the park (nagarhole) and subsequently sent to me by the Chief Wildlife Warden that except a spotted deer, no animal has been killed on that road for the last 10 years.
Protection of wildlife is important. At the same time economic development of society is also important. There has to be a harmonious balance. It cannot be at the cost of one of them.The issue of traffic cutting through bandipur has got nothing to do with night time. Even during the day time the vehicles go very fast. What do you do then?
I have noticed that tourist traffic on bandipur highway often mixes booze and high speeds especially when they cut through forest areas. Even the Jeeps belonging to the DCF, ACF and RFOs do not maintain speed limits in Bandipur, even during day time (I have video recordings of department jeeps plying at high speeds)The truth is our Forest officials and police are incapable of containing these speeds even during the day. Therefore the easiest is to close the road in the night and make it safe for smugglers and poachers to operate peacefully without the fear of getting noticed by some responsible, passing vehicle that may put an end to their activities.
Closing roads through National Parks
All. Thanks for all your responses. I agree with most of your views.* As Mr Apana said, let me state my background. I have been visiting Kabini area and Bandipur forests for the last 15 years. In kabini I have a house right next to the park in which I stay for about 3 weeks in a year :) Else the house is always closed. I spent 17 years in the IT industry and three years back I took up responsible eco-tourism, given my passion for wildlife. I set up two resorts called "Cicada" in Kabini and in Bandipur. I exited the eco-tourism business in Dec 2008 due to the lack of co-operation from forest officials. We could not launch any serious interpretation program except that my venture gave permanent jobs to 150 families (kabini and bandipur resorts) from the local villages and tribal families. They are well settled today with permanent jobs, bank accounts, salaries above government scales, cashless medical insurance etc. We also removed all the local money lending sharks and relieved many families from huge debts so that these 150 families are not dependent on the Forest for their lively hood. While my commercial interest was there for three years, i have always been a keen wildlife lover which i continue to do so even after i exited the business.*Talking about the road through kabini, none other than the PCCF has given to me in writing that they have record of only one spotted deer killed on that road in last 10 years. But it is the same forest department which closes the road saying that many animals are getting killed. Now look at this : The road was closed and the traffic was diverted through an alternate single-carriage-bad road cutting through many villages. These roads are not designed to carry truck traffic. A speeding truck killed an old lady crossing the road last year. Another truck killed a child playing on the road. These villagers never ever thought that traffic will be diverted through their door steps. Now who will answer for the loss of human lives. There have been many instances when sole bread winners of families meeting with accidents and rendering them useless. Suddenly their families are literally on the street. *Let them close the road through the national park. But let them provide an alternate viable road that does not kill human lives.* Personally i have known the kabini road for the last 15 years. One of the forum members here, Vikram, also know the place so well. We can vouch that in the last 15 years not a single cat was killed on that road and not a single elephant was killed on that road by trucks. The main reason was that the road was bad and no vehicles could drive very fast. We can do the same thing now. Introduce lot of speed breakers (scientifically designed) and bring the speed down. The solution is not in closing the road through the parks especially in the absence of alternative better roads.* Closing the road in the night means "Opening the road for poachers and smugglers" who will have a free run on these stretches. Anyone found on a closed road in the night cannot be charged under the wildlife protection act unless the act itself is amended. The act gives right of way to common man on roads cutting through national parks and the same cannot be treated as trespass. So even if we close the road and if someone voilates and enters the road, the person cannot be punished under WPA. So where is the fear?
1 Attachment(s)
Scanned copy of letter from DCF on road kill
Mr Apana - Thanks. I do not intend to be a resort owner anymore :)*** I have enclosed a scanned copy of the letter received from DCF Hunsur. Our question was, How many animals were killed in the last 10 years on Mysore Mananthavaadi Road? The reply from DCF is scanned and enclosed.