What is the issue?
Wildlife Institute of India estimates that tigers in Indian reserves face destructive impact of roads and traffic.
What is the recent incident?
- Bajirao, one of India’s breeding tigers from the Bor reserve, was killed in a highway hit and run accident recently.
- Bor Tiger Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary located in Wardha District of Maharashtra.
- Bor Tiger Reserve is one among the 'Satellite core area', which gives special focus on tiger protection.
- This incident highlights the absence of scientific advice to keep highways out of wildlife corridors.
- Recent study in Kanha-Pench tiger reserve corridor in Maharashtra also found that a national highway could block flow of genes between regions.
What are the possible measures?
- The Centre and the National Highways Authority of India have been repeatedly advised to realign or modify sensitive roads.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority should insist on modification of existing roads to provide under tunnel crossings for animals.
- Users can be asked to pay a small price for the protection of vital environmental features.
- This would ensure that tigers and other animals are not isolated, and can disperse strong genetic traits to other populations.
- Curbs could be imposed on traffic on existing roads passing through sanctuaries.
- There could also be speed restraints and limitations like allowing only escorted convoys, with a ban on private vehicular movement at night.
Source: The Hindu
