Signature campaign - for halting the night safari at bnp

Dear Friends,

There is an important step we all need to take. Our state gov has passed an order to start night safari at Bannerghatta national park and plans are thre to start at all most all wildlife sanctuaries.

As we all know that its one of the best elephant corridor preserved around bangalore and one of the examples of man - animal conflict.

Some of the facts of BNP & disadvatages of night safari:

Bannergatta National Park- only protected area closer to the capital, stretching to over 25,000 acres, houses larger animals like Asian Elephants, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Leopard, Jungle cat about 250 species of Birds, 20 species of snakes, 150 species of Butterflies, several species of insects, about 220 species of plants.
It is a thorny scrub, dry decidious and moist decidious complex forest types with rocky outcrops.
This is a very sensitive region being one if the best Eelphant Corridor, safeguards elephant population reducing man-animal conflicts as required protection is given to the habitat and the animals.
Under Wildlife Protection Act 1972, this protected area was declared as Bannergatta National Park, with stringent rules of 6pm to 6 am NO movements of human or vehicles, to safeguard animals and the nocturnal animal's movement. The act also emphaises strict vigilence for the protection of animals, plants and habitat. The protected area being sensitive, restricts any modification in or nearby closer areas that might hamper animal movement.

Night Safari- usually implemented in the zoo premises or a safari with captive animals where stringent rules need not apply as they are outside protected area, not hampering any wildlife.
Bannergatta National Park- being a protected area, Elephant corridor, with suffcient wildlife movement during day as well as night, is very much unsuitable for a night safari and is quite disturbing for the movement of wildlife, which might lead to man-animal conflict in future, adding up much wildlife problem to the already existing ones with farmers of having crop damage and loss of human life too.
The lights used, vehicle movement, human movement during night, will definitely have negative impact of nocturnal animal movement, which might make the animal retret or revert to the unusual location as they panic such disturnabces during night. This might increase Elephants straying into human habitat, leopard entering villages for food and shelter, Sloth Bears invading human habitation.

All the above strictly suggests NO for Night Safari inside the Bannergata National Park.


If you feel like raising your voice in stopping / halting the state cabinets decision on starting night safari...Please leave your impression with your name and place.

Hope our Union minister for forests & our tourism minister understans the sensitivity of the issue and take some serious decision of pulling back the order which has been passed.


DEAR FRIENDS PLEASE MARK A COPY TO ME vpramod1983@gmail.com so that we can keep track of the number of signatures.....Thanks

1) PRAMOD.V BANGALORE
2)SHARATH S GIRI,BENGALURU sharathsgiri@gmail.com

This is an unfortunate news.

Most of the people identify Bannerghatta with the lion safari. It seems, the authorities are now interested in taking the lion safari theme forward.

The question that comes to mind is why night safari? If someone says that the animals are not seen in the day time, then it is not the fault of the animals. Animals try to adapt to the situation. When poaching was not rampant, anthropogenic pressures on the forests were low, animals were easily seen during the day time. With increased pressures, most of the animals, especially the predators became mostly nocturnal. Increase the level of protection of the place, reduce the disturbance and you will find that in a few years, more and more animals will be found during the day time. We should try to cure the disease, rather than respond to the symptoms.

Our natural heritage should not be a victim to the whims and fancies of a few in the corridors of power. There is a need for management along sound ecological principles.

Furthermore, I am surprised that the Karnataka which had taken steps to stop traffic in the bandipur road in the night, has gone against its belief and has started night safari in bannerghatta.

I am sure, our members can raise their voice against this.

Please write to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, at cm@kar.nic.in and urge him to take action.

You may also email our Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh at mosef@nic.in .

and a copy to The Secretary, MoEF, Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, ND-110003
email: envisect@nic.in

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court directed Centre to file its objections by two weeks on a PIL against proposed Bannerghatta Night Safari project.

Petitioner B R Deepak, an advocate, prayed that permission should not be accorded to the Rs 180 crore project to be implemented over a period of 15 years as it was "harmful to wildlife and would disturb it".

When the matter came for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Mohan Shanthangouder, it directed the Union Government to file its objections on the PIL.

The state government, the second respondent, has already given a powerpoint presentation to the court on the salient features of the project, a study of the behavioural approach of nocturnal animals, how the rescued animals can be habitated, various features of the Butterfly Park and endangered species of animals.

The Zoo Authority has already given its nod for the project.

The bench after hearing the counsel for the petitioner and the state government, adjourned hearing of the case to next week.

Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/5739252.cms

Thanks for the update Mrudul. Hope some actions are taken soon in this regard.

Vijayashankar’s veto is a blow to Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy
New minister nixes night safari plan
Bangalore, Sep 24, DHNS:

Nature lovers opposing the proposed night safari in Bannerghatta national park, have a reason for cheer: Forest Minister C H Vijayashankar has decided to stall the proposal in the interest of wildlife in the protected forest area.

“I will not allow the night safari project in Bannerghatta. The project will be detrimental to wildlife located in the forest...I hail from forest area. I am aware how the project will affect animals,” the Minister told reporters on Friday.

He was speaking after taking part in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yeddyurappa to discuss the the issue of providing land rights to forest dwellers. It was Vijayashankar’s first official meeting after taking oath as the Minister on Wednesday.

The Forest Minister’s move has come as a jolt to Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy, who had taken keen interest in implementing Rs 180-crore night safari project.

Reddy has been trying to push the project despite stiff opposition from environmentalists. The project, first of kind in the country, has been proposed on the lines of Singapore’s famous Jurong Park. The aim is to have a night safari between 6 pm and 10 pm to sight nocturnal wildlife.

A thorough revamping of the park is proposed for the venture, including construction of pathways, setting up lighting, tourist camping and a state-of-art restaurant.

Charter planes

Plan is also on the cards to introduce charter planes to reach the national park, as it takes at least an hour by road from the City. The Tourism department plans to attract tourist from across the globe by implementing the project, official sources said.

Environmentalists, however have argued that the area proposed for the project has been proposed to be implemented is pristine forest and an elephant corridor. The indiscriminate use of vehicles and cameras during the night safari would disturb the wildlife, they have said.

The Bannerghatta national park is a protected forest area spread over 104 sq km. It is habitat for the Asian elephant, 250 species of birds, 20 species of snakes, 150 species of butterflies and 250 different species of plants.

Source article can be found here: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...fari-plan.html

Dear All,
The case has now reached the Supreme Cout. I am sure justice will be done and the project will be shelved. Sharing the news article that appeared in Deccan Hearald.
Sabyasachi

BNP night safari issue goes to SC
Subhash Chandra N S, Bangalore, DHNS:
The Karnataka government’s proposal to introduce night safari in the Bannerghatta Biological Park has now reached the Supreme Court with a petitioner seeking a stay on it. With this the government has to explain in the apex court, the reasons for taking up night safari.

Hearing a special leave petition (SLP) by B R Deepak, a Bangalore-based advocate and party in person, a Division Bench of Justices R V Ravindran and A K Patnaik ordered the issue of notices to all the respondents, the chief secretary of Karnataka, Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF), State Forest Department, Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI), Zoo Authority of Karnataka and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Wildlife.

When the SLP came up for hearing on Monday, the petitioner submitted that the decision to start night safari in the Bannerghatta National Park was a violation of Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, where non-forest activities could not be permitted inside forest area.

“They have obtained permission from CZAI, which is not a permitting authority at all,” he submitted.

The Bench expressed its surprise orally and asked, “Why has the High Court not considered the case even when you have the documents?” However it said it was not necessary to issue a stay as the proposed work had not commenced.

On December 30, 2010, the High Court Division Bench of Justices Manjula Chellur and B S Patil cleared the hurdles for night safari stating that it could not interfere in the State’s decision for such a safari. In the Supreme Court, the petitioner contended that the proposed night safari was also a violation of Section 35 (6) of the Wildlife Act, which said wildlife habitat could not be diverted for other purposes.

The site chosen was an elephant corridor as it included Ragihalli reserve forest, which had been declared an elephant corridor even in the recent Elephant Task Force report ‘Gajah’ which had recommended that the elephant should be named a heritage animal.

According to Article 48 A of the Constitution of India, the state had to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife.

The source article can be found here: BNP night safari issue goes to SC