Explained: Why environmentalists don’t want vehicles to enter Bandipur forest at night

Forest Protection

The Bandipur National Park is home to precious flora and fauna, and vehicular traffic during the night will contribute to their destruction.

Soumya Chatterjee

With the Supreme Court recently upholding the existing night-time ban on vehicular traffic through Bandipur National Park in Karnataka’s Mysuru district, the protective regulation is being debated yet again, as people in neighbouring Kerala demand lifting the ban for their convenience. Since 2009, movement of vehicles has been banned between 9 pm and 6 am on a 25 km stretch of National Highway 212 (766), which cuts through the Bandipur forest. This stretch is considered a core tiger habitat. During the period of the ban, commuters use a 44-km-long detour via Hunsur, Gonikoppal, Kutta and Mananthavady - areas bordering Karnataka and Kerala. People in Kerala’s Wayanad district have been demanding that the ban be lifted, stating that the detour increases their travel time and affects tourism in the district. The Kerala government has also proposed the construction of an elevated corridor to bypass the ban. This has irked Karnataka Forest Department officials and environmentalists - both from Karnataka and Kerala - who say that movement of vehicles or the construction of flyovers will destroy the forest’s biodiversity, including the tiger habitat. Even as the opposition to the nighttime traffic ban continues, here are the potentially disastrous consequences which environmentalists insist we will have to face if the ban is lifted. Short-term impact The ban was imposed by the Karnataka High Court in 2009 after it was found that at least 215 animals were run over by vehicles between 2004 and 2007 on NH-67 and NH-212. Following this, Tamil Nadu imposed a similar night traffic ban in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. According to wildlife activists, environmentalists and the Karnataka Forest Department officials, if the ban is lifted, the number of roadkills -  animals struck and killed by vehicles on highways - will go on a dizzying rise, as the forest is densely populated with a huge and diverse population of wildlife. Bandipur, incidentally, has the highest densities of Asiatic elephants and tigers - both endangered wildlife species. Further, access to the forest habitat in the night, wildlife activists say, will cause rampant poaching of wildlife. There are also fears of the timber mafia cutting down trees during the night. The effects of the ban will be felt by human settlements too. Being connected with forest areas of Madhumalai, Wayanad and Nagarhole, among others, Bandipur forms a passage for animals during the night hours - during the period of the ban - which is otherwise fragmented. If these passages are not maintained, animals will stray into the forest fringes and into human habitats. Long-term impact Bandipur is home to an array of endangered, threatened and vulnerable species of flora and fauna. From teak, rosewood and sandalwood to Indian gooseberry, flame of the forest and indigoberry, the forest is diverse and precious. The national park is also home to 158 tigers, 3000 elephants and a few thousand leopards and deer, among several other mammals, birds and insects. This biodiversity, environmentalists fear, will be threatened or lost in the long run, if vehicles hit animals in the dark or flyovers are constructed. “Even a tiny insect or an invasive plant has its part to play in the intricate ecosystem. Removal of any of the components will break that particular food chain leading to ecological balance,” Karnataka based-senior IFS officer Ravindra Kumar tells TNM.  Bandipur, along with the surrounding forests - Nagarhole National Park, Mudumalai National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary - form the Nilgiri Biosphere, which is a World Heritage Site. “Tampering with one forest will have larger implications on entire peninsular India,” points out J Manjunath, an eco-conservator and founder of the Wilderness Club. Instances of flooding in the immediate surroundings will also increase, activists point out. Other than trapping water in many natural ponds and lakes, many major tributaries of the Cauvery also originate from these forests. With Cauvery being the prime freshwater source for states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, destroying the forests will eventually harm the cities as well, environmentalists say. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/33auynC
via IFTTT

How Pete Buttigieg would lower drug prices

“It’s time for a new era of leadership in Washington ready and eager to make drugs affordable and take on pharmaceutical companies,” his plan reads.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/2pS6NCA
via IFTTT

Bengaluru Dasara celebrations: Here’s a list of traffic diversions

Traffic

The diversions will apply for roads in areas surrounding RT Nagar and Cantonment Railway Station.

TNM Staff

Picxy.com/munna

On account of Dasara festivities, the Traffic Police Department has announced that there will be certain traffic diversions from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning in the northern part of Bengaluru in areas around RT Nagar, Cantonment Railway Station and surrounding areas. These diversions will be applicable from 6 pm on Tuesday to 8 am on Wednesday. Traffic police officials noted that there will be festival processions in roads within the RT Nagar Traffic Police Station limits in JC Nagar, with more than a hundred idols of Durga and Chamundeshwari set for immersion. The processions are to start from Dasara Mantapa PRTC Junction and then move on JC Nagar Main Road and conclude at Shivanna Circle.  These are the following diversions: 1. People driving from Sultanpalya towards Cantonment Railway Station Bridge via Dinnur Main Road will have to take a left turn at the RT Nagar Police Station and take RT Nagar Main Road towards Sri Gundurao House. From there, people will have to take a right turn at Bellary Road and take a left at Mekhri Circle underpass towards city. Once at Mekhri Circle Service Road, they will have to take a left turn towards Jayamahal Road and continue towards Cantonment Railway Station Bridge. 2. Commuters driving from Cantonment Railway Station towards Kaval Byrasandra, RT Nagar and Sultanpalya side will have to take the Jayamahal Road and pass through Mekhri Circle and take a right turn at Bellary Road to approach the CBI Underpass. From there, they will have to take a right turn at CBI Road and another right turn from RT Nagar Main Road and approach RT Nagar PS Junction and make a left turn to reach Dinnur Main Road.  3. People travelling from Yeshwanthpur towards Kaval Byrasandra, RT Nagar and Sultanpalya via Mekhri Circle will have to take a left turn at Bellary Road and pass through CBI Underpass. From there they will have to take a right turn at CBI Road and another right turn to get onto  RT Nagar Main Road and approach RT Nagar PS Junction and take a left turn to reach Dinnur Main Road.  4. People from Bengaluru City centre going towards RT Nagar, Kaval Byrasandra, and Sultanpalya will have to take the Mekhri Circle underpass and approach the Bellary Road and take the CBI Underpass and take the right turn towards CBI Road and take a right towards RT Nagar Main Road. From there they will have to take a left at RT Nagar PS Junction and another left turn towards Dinnur Main Road.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/33cqlQe
via IFTTT

Indigo passengers in a tizzy as flight lands and takes off within seconds in Bengaluru

Aviation

While the flight was to reach Bengaluru at 4:45 pm, it finally landed at 5:10 pm despite departing from Madurai on time.

TNM Staff

File image

Passengers on board an Indigo flight travelling from Madurai to Bengaluru were in for a shock on Sunday evening when their flight landed at 5 pm on Sunday with a loud thump but took off again within seconds.  Taking to Twitter, one passenger called for a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding the same.  He said, “@DGCAIndia @IndiGo6E pls investigate what happened on flight 6e7219 madurai to Bangalore..it landed with a loud thump and again took off in the air...then landed 20 minutes later..” The Times of India reported the incident took place due to prevalence of crosswinds as announced by the pilot of the flight through the public address system. While the flight was to reach Bengaluru at 4:45 pm, it finally landed at 5:10 pm despite departing from Madurai on time. Speaking to TOI, the passenger who tweeted, said, ““My wife and I, who were travelling with our 3-year-old daughter, were very worried about what happened. The flight touched down in Bengaluru and then in a span of five to 10 seconds again took off. Then it hovered in the air for about 20 minutes. Initially, even the crew members were not sure of what was happening.”  He added, “About 10 minutes after the flight was airborne again, the pilot took to the public announcement system and told us that due to ‘winds’ we had to take off again. But when I later enquired with the air hostess, she told me that it was because they got an emergency call from the Air Traffic Control (ATC), asking them to take off again.” TNM could not reach Indigo for a comment. Crosswinds are winds which blow across the runway of a flight which affect the direction of the flight while taking off or landing forcing them to veer off from their intended trajectory if wind speeds are higher than a certain limit. Likewise, tailwinds are gutsy winds that push the aircraft from the rear while landing or taking off. In 2015, a DGCA audit had found there were a significant number of pilots who did not know safety procedures for operating under these conditions.  While crosswinds are not common in Bengaluru, there was a recent such incident at the Kolkata airport. A Pune-Kolkata flight had skidded off the runway after it landed. In that incident, the flight had deviated from its original trajectory. No injuries were reported. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2LTtyi0
via IFTTT

K’taka pushes for Mekedatu approval, claims project does not need TN consent

Dispute

The latest response by the government of Karnataka comes after the Ministry of Environment deferred the grant of ToRs for the project, citing Tamil Nadu’s concerns.

TNM Staff

Wikimedia Commons/Karthik Prabhu (CCBYSA 3.0)

The government of Karnataka has once again written to the central government, stating that there is no need to obtain Tamil Nadu’s permission to construct a dam across the Cauvery river in Mekedatu, as per a Supreme Court order.  The project aims to generate electricity and provide drinking water to parts of Bengaluru and Ramanagara districts. As per the verdict given by the Supreme Court in the Cauvery water dispute, no new structures must be constructed across the river without the consent of all the riparian states. Tamil Nadu is in opposition to the Mekedatu project because it will severely restrict water flow to the state and impact agriculture negatively. According to Karnataka’s letter to the Centre dated October 4, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited responded to the observations of the Expert Appraisal Committee, which had opined that an amicable solution be arrived at between the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Mekedatu dam after which the grant of Terms of Reference will be reconsidered.  “…The question of amicable solution does not arise since the project gets qualified based on the merits,” read the letter by Karnataka, which urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to approve ToRs at the earliest. The Karnataka government, as a response to the observation of finding an amicable solution, pointed to the clauses XIII and XVIII in the Supreme Court judgment dated February 16, 2018, which stated that there is no legal requirement for a state to take consent of other states to utilise its own water resources, even in the case of an inter-State river.  Further, the letter also quoted a portion of an SC order which said that the central government is not duty-bound to obtain the permission of the other states while sanctioning any project of any of the riparian states.  “…Though it may be fully desirable for all the states to know about the developments of the other states but neither the law on the subject requires that a state even for utilisation of its own water resources would take the consent of other riparian states in case of an inter-Stateriver,” the letter stated.  Emphasising that the Mekedatu Balancing reservoir and drinking water project is essential not just to store water and regulate releases to Tamil Nadu but also to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and its surrounding areas, the government of Karnataka stated that it can take up the project on its own accord while complying with the order of the Supreme Court.  This letter from Karnataka comes even as Tamil Nadu continuously opposed the construction of a new dam across Cauvery, stating that this would impact irrigation and agriculture in the state.  Also Read: Explainer: What is the Mekedatu dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka?

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2LVaT5D
via IFTTT

Bengaluru Uber driver leaves passenger with bloodied nose after argument over fare

Crime

The accused driver is still absconding.

TNM Staff

In yet another incident of unruly behaviour by cab drivers in Bengaluru, a driver partner of Uber on Thursday hit his passenger and left him with a bloodied nose. The incident occurred when one Aneek Roy (23) had booked a ride from his Whitefield residence to the airport. While he had booked an UberPool ride, Aneek said he was asked by the driver to pay him a higher price upfront of UberGo. This led to an argument which later escalated with Aneek being punched by the cab driver and left with a bloodied nose. The Mahadevapura police have booked a case under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), Section 323 (assault), and Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.  “In his statement, he said when he started loading his luggage in the taxi, the driver, identified as Harish K.S., demanded that he pay the Uber Go fare in advance,” a senior police officer told The Hindu. When Aneek said he would not pay the high fare demanded by Harish, he was asked to cancel the ride on the app and abort the vehicle to which Aneek protested. Claiming that he would be fined for cancelling the ride, he tried to persuade the driver. But to this, the driver started throwing his luggage on the ground and started hitting him when Aneek told him that he would complain against him on the app. Read: Bengaluru police forbids Ola, Uber from using alternate routes to airport Moreover, Harish in his complaint said that by this time there was a crowd of onlookers, but nobody came forward to help except a shopkeeper who also gave him water.  The accused in this case Harish KS, is still absconding.   Aneek was not allowed to board the flight even though he reached the airport on time using another cab, as he was still bleeding. Doctors at the Manipal Hospital diagnosed that Aneek has a nasal bone dislocation. Deccan Herald quoted an Uber spokesperson as saying, “We have removed the driver partner’s access to the app. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation.” However, this is not the first such incident when a cabbie has turned violent. Recently, a former police officer of ACP rank was assaulted by an Uber driver in August.There was another such incident in July as well.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2MirQWz
via IFTTT

President on 3-day visit to Karnataka from October 10

Politics

President Kovind will participate in various educational, religious and judicial functions.

IANS

President Ramnath Kovind will be on a three-day official visit to Karnataka from October 10 to participate in various educational, religious and judicial functions, an official said on Sunday. "This is the first time the President will be on a three-day visit to the state. On October 10, he will flag off the centenary celebrations of the erstwhile Mysuru Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar at the famous royal Amba Vilas Palace," a state protocol official told IANS in Bengaluru. Mysuru, the cultural capital of the southern state, is about 150 km southwest of Bengaluru. On October 11, Kovind will visit the Chamundi Devi temple atop a hill on the outskirts of Mysuru before going to the Sree Srikanteshwara temple in Nanjanagud, 25 km southeast of Mysuru. "On the same day (October 11), Kovind will lay the foundation stone for the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research at Varuna in Mysuru district. Varuna is the home town of former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. On October 12, the President will interact with the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice and judges over a breakfast meeting at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru in the presence of state Governor Vajubhai Vala. "Kovind will also visit the residence of former Union Minister late H.N. Ananth Kumar and meet his widow Tejaswini and family members," said the official. Kumar, a six-time Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South constituency, passed away at the age of 59 on November 12, 2018 after a brief illness. The President will also visit the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Sansthana University at Jigani on the city's southern outskirts to interact with the students and the faculty. "Later in the day, Kovind will leave for Ahmedabad from the state-run HAL airport in the city's eastern suburb on a special IAF aircraft," the official added.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2o8emVj
via IFTTT