Greens red over MLA's letter to PMseeking widening of road in Bandipura

Chamarajanagara: The letter written by Gundlupete MLA Niranjana Kumar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging widening of the NH 766 whichconnectsKarnataka to Kerala and Tamil Nadu has drawn flak from environmentalists.

The legislator's letter to the PM which came after the Chennai High Court banned nightvehicular movement inthe Bandipura tiger reserve hastriggered angerof wildlife lovers. The high court banned the vehicular traffic after an increase in the number of cases of wild animals dying in road accidents.

The MLA's letter sought road dividers and road widening, which environmentalists believe would pose greater threat to wild animals in the Bandipura tiger reserve.

Environmentalist told reporters that sound pollution generated by movement of heavy vehicular traffic would disturba large number ofwild animals. The forest department does not allow road widening in sanctuaries precisely for this reason. "If the government is committedto protecting biodiversity it should reject the appeal of the MLA," they said and expressed fear that building road dividers could lead to more number of road accidents involving wild animals.