Source: IT
Context: Environmentalists and citizens launched the ‘Save Bandipur’ protest in Karnataka after reports emerged that the state government may lift the night traffic ban on NH-766, which cuts through the Bandipur National Park.
About Bandipur National Park:
- What it is?
- Bandipur is a national park and tiger reserve, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, and one of India’s oldest and most ecologically significant protected areas.
- Location: Situated in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka.
- Establishment & History:
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- First created in 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park (90 km²) by the Maharaja of Mysore.
- Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973 under Project Tiger.
- Became part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986.
- Geographic Features:
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- Area: ~868.63 km²
- Terrain: Dry deciduous forests, scrublands, and moist deciduous woodlands.
- Flora: Teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian kino tree, giant clumping bamboo.
- Fauna:
- Flagship species: Bengal tiger.
- Other mammals: Elephants, leopards, gaurs, sambar, chital, sloth bear
- Endemic species: Black-naped hare, Malabar squirrel
About Highway – NH-766:
- Route: NH-766 cuts through the core area of Bandipur.
- National Highway 766 (NH 766), formerly known as NH 212, is a national highway in Southern India connecting Kozhikode in Kerala to Kollegal in Karnataka.
- Traffic Ban: Night traffic between 9 PM to 6 AM was banned in 2009 due to high wildlife mortality.
- Impact:
- Pre-ban deaths (2004–2009): 286 animals killed
- Post-ban deaths (2010–2018): Only 34 reported
- Supreme Court: In 2019, upheld the ban, recognizing it as a conservation success story.
