New regulations comes into force on Bannari – Karapallam stretch of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of STR issues order on various regulations

New regulations, including ban on movement of vehicles with 12 wheels and permitting public transport buses only between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., have come into force on the Bannari - Karapallam stretch of the Coimbatore – Bengaluru National Highway 948 that passes through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) from Friday evening. 

Based on the Madras High Court order dated April 6, 2022, and Erode District Gazette Notification dated January 7, 2019, the Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of STR, S. Ramasubramanian, has issued order on various regulations and entry charges for vehicle movement on the national highway that passes through STR.

Some of the regulations are: any vehicle with 12 wheels and above will not be permitted to use the stretch; the weight of empty truck, trailer or lorry should not be over 16.2 tonnes; all commercial vehicles, cargo or loaded vehicles will be permitted to use the Dhimbam ghat road only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. ; light motor vehicles, excluding commercial vehicles such as car or van, two-wheelers and three-wheelers would be permitted to use the stretch from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; public transport buses — both Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Limited and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and others— will not be allowed to use the ghat road from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m; the maximum permissible speed limit is 30 km per hour on the plains and 20 km per hour on the ghat road section; all commercial vehicles will be allowed to use the stretch only after paying entry fee levied by the Forest Department at Karapallam and Bannari check posts ; littering, honking, parking and stopping vehicles are not allowed in the tiger reserve area and violations of any rules will attract a penalty.

The order exempts ambulances and vehicles used for emergencies or medical purposes, regular health workers or doctors with passes, government vehicles and milk vans from timing restrictions. Light motor vehicles of locals residing inside the tiger reserve areas moving for personal work are allowed with passes. Heavy motor vehicles transporting vegetables or fruits from villages located inside tiger reserve areas are permitted to use the road during night hours also. But, the entry of such vehicles inside the tiger reserve should be up to 6 p.m. only.