Bengaluru: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged the Central Government to build an elevated road inside the thick forests of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and allow night traffic movement.
In his letter to the Union Government, he stated that, due to the ban on vehicular movement in the night, Kerala is suffering huge losses.
It can be recalled that, since 2006, night traffic inside the Bandipur forest has been banned between 9 PM and 6 AM, keeping in mind the safety of the wild animals.
Only two buses are allowed to operate in this area during this period. Ambulances are also allowed to pass through based on the letters written by doctors and hospital authorities.
It can be recalled that recently, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had raised this very issue. When H D Revanna was the PWD minister, he had proposed an elevated road inside the forest as a solution. This proposition has been opposed by environmentalists, who allege that such a project will disturb the ecology of the forest.