Yaduveer firmly against plan to life night traffic ban through Bandipur

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, MP for Mysuru, raised the issue of the possible lifting of night traffic ban through Bandipur, on Thursday and sought a directive from the House to the Ministry concerned to take a firm stance against it.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, MP for Mysuru, raised the issue of the possible lifting of night traffic ban through Bandipur, on Thursday and sought a directive from the House to the Ministry concerned to take a firm stance against it.

Mr. Wadiyar, who addressed the issue to Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair in the Lok Sabha, said the government of Karnataka implemented the night traffic ban through NH 766 which ran through Bandipur in Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka and connected Wayanad in Kerala.

He said despite this progressive policy put in place to ensure that wildlife collisions and illegal activities and transportation were kept to the minimum, the Kerala government had repeatedly sought to get the ban lifted and had time and again exerted pressure on Karnataka.

Mr. Wadiyar pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his previous term had refused to lift the night ban.

Referring to the current developments, Mr. Wadiyar said recently an affidavit was filed before the Supreme Court which advocated an elevated road on an alternative route and keeping the NH 766 only for local community needs and emergency vehicles.

But senior leaders of the Congress had exerted pressure on the Karnataka government to withdraw the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, and also reconsider and lift the night traffic ban through Bandipur.

Mr. Wadiyar said such interference in Karnataka’s affairs undermined the State’s efforts in preserving natural heritage, all for the benefit of a few political figures, and was deeply condemnable.