We the undersigned support and are very pleased with the bold initiative taken up by the District Commissioner of Chamrajnagar to close National Highways (NH67 and NH212) running through Bandipur National Park during the nights.
It is a welcome decision considering the facts that;
1. Most road kills happen in the nights which has been scientifically researched and proved 250 wild animal deaths have happened in a span of three years
2. Expansion and development of these highways in future will add pressure to the national park creating situations that will be critical to wildlife population. We need to realise this.
3. Bandipur National Park is an important and critical tiger habitat that supports several large mammals and endangered species like the elephant, sambar, chital, sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena and countless smaller ones. They need their space and protection.
4. National highways and roads in wild spaces become a barrier for wildlife migration, which is important for their survival.
5. Bandipur is part of the Nilgiris biosphere, which is an important bio-diversity hotspot that needs to be protected and monitored for scientific and ethical reasons. We need to value this.
It is important to take bold decisions, make changes, and align ourselves for better management and conservation of our wild protected areas. Decisions taken today will impact future efforts and conservation of our natural heritage.
We urge our Chief Minister and authorities to extensively review the situation, seek input from experts, and support this change.