Traffic curbs in PTR spark protests; AAP seeks SC intervention

PILIBHIT: A meeting called by Pilibhit district magistrate Gyanendra Singh on Monday to discuss restrictions on traffic through forest stretches failed to bring relief to residents affected by a Supreme Court order dated Nov 17. After the meeting, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) district president Amit Mishra wrote to the party's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh. A Supreme Court division bench headed by former Chief Justice B R Gavai had directed strict regulation of traffic between dusk and dawn on roads passing through core or critical tiger habitats across the country.

In compliance with the order, authorities of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on March 2 announced a ban on all motorised vehicles as well as manually or animal-driven conveyances on several forest stretches. These include a 7-km core forest stretch on the Pilibhit–Basti NH-730, a 15-km core forest stretch of the Madhotanda–Uttarakhand state highway, and a 9-km stretch of critical tiger habitat on the Pilibhit–Madhotanda major district road. However, villagers and residents have not complied with the order.

The meeting was attended by office-bearers of several farmers' organisations and AAP. Farmer leaders and party members submitted a memorandum demanding that the status quo be maintained. Mishra said he had urged Sanjay Singh to facilitate the filing of an appeal before the Supreme Court against the division bench order.

District magistrate Gyanendra Singh told TOI that traffic on jungle roads, except heavy trucks, would continue with restrictions until March 12. On that day, former principal chief conservator of forests of Maharashtra Sunil Limaye, is scheduled to visit Pilibhit to review compliance with the Supreme Court order.

"We will prohibit heavy trucks through the core forest between dusk and dawn but allow other vehicles for the time being, with a strict maximum speed limit of 30 kmph. Barriers will be placed at intervals of 2–3 km on forest stretches and a speed monitoring team, including police personnel, will be deployed," the DM said. He added that the administration plans to equip roads passing through critical tiger habitats with radar speed sensors to monitor vehicle speed and automatically alert officials about violations.

Meanwhile, district govt counsel (revenue) Desh Deepak Mishra said the Supreme Court order could be modified only by the same bench or a higher bench. Any defiance of the order by officials or the public could invite contempt of court proceedings, he added.

Divisional forest officer of PTR Manish Singh said the forest department was bound to comply with the apex court's order. "However, in view of protests against the ban from several sections of society in the district, the matter has been referred to the state administration for a decision," he said.

Farmers and their leaders have been opposing the restrictions and demanding that traffic movement through the core forest stretches continue as before.