Protest in Wayanad Against Proposed Permanent Closure of NH 766

The night travel ban on National highway 766—a crucial highway that connects Kerala and Karnataka, especially the wayanad district in Kerala and Mysuru in Karnataka—which passes through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, has always been a matter of debate. But for the past 11 days, Wayanad district has been witnessing a series of protests and a hunger strike against the ban, especially, after the Supreme Court asked the Centre about possible alternatives so that the traffic through NH 766 could be shut down permanently. 

People from different parts of Wayanad districts have been pouring onto the protest site in Sulthan Bathery since the commencement of hunger strike on September 25. NH 766 Protection Action Committee, which includes people from most political parties, is spearheading the ongoing protests to highlight the interest of the masses from Wayanad and other parts of the state. The committee is led by Suresh Challor, block panchayat vice president and leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and IC Balakrishnan, MLA from the Sulthan Bathery legislative Assembly and a Congress leader.  

The hunger strike is led by five youths from five youth organisations including Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Youth Congress, Youth League, Yuvamorcha and a collective of youth.

The night traffic ban on the 19-km forest stretch of NH 766 was actually imposed in August 2009 by the district administration of Chamarajnagar district. The ban had come after a report on number of animals which were being hit by vehicles at night. 

Then, as per the Motor Vehicle Act and Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, the district administration banned traffic on the highway between 9 pm and 6 am. However, after the request by Kerala government and protests by residents of Wayanad, the Chamarajnagar district administration lifted the ban. Then the matter was taken to the Karnataka High Court by activists and the court reinstated the ban through an interim order to protect the wildlife from accidents. The court order had come after the petitions by Srinivasa Babu and Wayanad Prakrithi Samsarakshana Samithi. 

The Kerala government then moved to the Supreme Court and the matter remained in conclusive. However on August 9 this year, considering the petition of the Kerala government, Supreme Court asked the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to file an affidavit in four weeks with suggestions to upgrade the alternate roads NH 275 and State Highway 90 (Tholppetty Nagarhole state highway) and later close down the NH 766.

The NH 766 connects Kozhikode in Kerala and Kollegal in Karnataka and then it joins the NH 988, which connects Bengaluru and Coimbatore. The NH 766 passes through Kalpetta in Wayanad, then Sulthan Batheri in Karnataka and then leads to Mysore through Gundlupet. The alternate path takes the Kalpetta-Manathavady-Kutta and Gonikoppal-Mysore route.  

However, the alternate route is 40 km longer than the NH 766 and it also passes through the same forest area. Bandipur, one of the oldest tiger reserves in the country, home to about 140 tigers, 1,500 elephants and over 25,000 deers, was declared a tiger reserve in 1973 and in 1984, it became a national park. The tiger reserve which spreads across three states—Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu—connects three reserved forests: Nagarhole National Park of Karnataka, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu. 

Kerala government has been putting forward a demand for an elevated road in this 19-km forest stretch. Of the 19 kms, 4 km is in Kerala and the rest of it is in Karnataka. But after the recent exchange of letters between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, the Centre has ruled out the possibility of an elevated road. 

One of the main demands of the protection committee is also the construction of the elevated road. “We don’t have super speciality hospitals here in Wayanad. So, people depend either on the Kozhikode Medical College or Mysore,” said KG Sudheesh of DYFI, representing the protection committee. 

The Wayanad district is isolated from the rest of the Kerala due to the Western Ghats. Owing to its geography, Wayanad is better connected to Karnataka and Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu and it is the NH 766 that connects Wayanad to Mysore and Bengaluru. Moreover, Wayanad has no rail connectivity and air connectivity. 

“Due to the traffic ban, people are not able to go to Mysore at night if there is any emergency. The ban has also affected the traffic in and around Wayanad pass. Earlier, from Sulthan Bathery, we could reach Kozhikode Medical College in three hours. Now, it takes five-six hours because of the block in the pass,” said Sudheesh. 

Landslides and landslips are also very common in Wayanad pass and then the district becomes totally isolated. The only way out in such situations is to go to the Karnataka side. This is what had happened during the floods in 2018 and 2019. 

“The alternate path is not an alternative to the existing national highway since it does not end at any point of the NH 766,” Sudeesh added. 

As per the data from the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s Sulthan Bathery depot, about 1,500 people travel from Bathery to Gundlupet in local buses only. So, a minimum of 10,000 people travel on this route every day. If the traffic through the NH 766 is being banned permanently, people will have to travel around 265 km to reach Gundlupet from Bathery in lieu of 55 km. 

So, the farmers who go to Gundlupet for farming and workers from both the sides will be the main victims of this proposed alternate path. “There are tribal families who live in the border areas and their concerns have not been even considered. If the NH 766 gets closed, how will they commute? It’s clearly a question of their human rights,” Sudheesh added. 

During floods in August this year, the tribal settlements in the border areas had been isolated, and their situation will be worse in case of a flood once the national highway is shut down.

“The alternate path, which passes through the same forest land, will affect the ecosystem there as well. Widening the road means cutting more trees and once the number of vehicles through that route increases, the carbon emission will be high since it is 40 km longer than the NH 766,” explained Sudheesh.

Ironically, NH 766 is not the only one national highway that passes through the reserve forest. NH 6, NH 7, etc., too, pass through the reserve forests. The Assam government is scheduled to build a 36-km-long flyover in Kaziranga National Park. Then why can’t the Centre sanction the 19-km-long elevated road through Bandipur, question the locals.

“Along with the conservation of wildlife, interest of the people should also be considered and hence, the protection committee will approach the Supreme Court on October 14,” concluded Sudheesh.