Ecological impacts & social realities due to night traffic regulation through Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India
Student name: Mr Hariprasad V M
Guide: Dr Nithiyanandam Yogeswaran
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: Centre for Environment and Development, Thiruvananthapuram
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr T R Vinod
Abstract: The Human encroachment has increased over the years and has degraded the
natural environment. The study tries to find out the changes in land use and
land cover as well as degradation of vegetation within a 5km buffer of two
national highways passing through Bandipur tiger reserve and national park.
The study area has got public attention after night traffic is regulated through
the park from June 2009 citing the ecological concerns. The Land Use Land
Cover maps and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index maps were prepared
to find out the vegetation change over the years. The study also aims to find out
the social concerns in and around the park after the night traffic is regulated.
The study is important since the human encroachment to this region of rare and
endangered species is of great concern. Despite the declaration of forests as
wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in order to conserve at higher magnitude
strategies, human encroachment has not reduced. At this juncture, night closure
of the road was put in place. The major reasons cited for the night closure of the
National Highways were sound and light disturbances to nocturnal species, road
kill, forest fragmentation and poaching. Other than the state-wise annual forest
report, there is no data or maps on vegetation in the region to rely upon.
From the results, it is observed that degradation of vegetation and visible change
in Land Use Land Cover has occurred in the study area which causes negative
effect to their habitats. The study on social concerns due to the night traffic
regulation reveals that, even though the people on the Kerala side had incurred
loss in business and difficulty in commutation, all have habituated to the reality.
The ruling from the court was strong and based on the National Wildlife Action
Plan 2002-2016. So, this study has found out all the aspects on the conflicting
issue between two neighboring states advocating for two notions of environment
and development.
Key Words: Bandipur, Night Traffic, Wildlife, Nocturnal Species, Road kill.
