: Non-Karnataka vehicles entering Nagarahole to pay a cleaning fee #IndiaNEWS #News Mysore/Mysuru: All non-Karnataka (KA)registered vehicles entering the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR) through various

@IndiaNEWS

Posted in: #IndiaNEWS

Non-Karnataka vehicles entering Nagarahole to pay a cleaning fee #IndiaNEWS #News
Mysore/Mysuru: All non-Karnataka (KA)registered vehicles entering the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR) through various entry points including Mysuru will have to pay a cleaning fee. The order has been implemented from Feb. 1, 2023, much to the chagrin of vehicle owners and drivers from neighbouring Kerala who use the roads regularly.



A cleaning fee of Rs. 20 is being levied from all non-KA vehicles. While Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) are paying Rs. 20, heavy vehicles are paying Rs. 50 per entry. Most of the vehicles towards Kerala enter the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve limits through the Anechowkur Gate on the Kodagu-Mysuru border and on average, over 5,000 vehicles use this road to travel between the two States.



As per the notification of the Forest Department that has been pasted on a notice board at the Anechowkur Gate, the entry fee rule has been implemented at Bavali Check Post near Mysuru, Anechowkur Gate, Nanachi Gate, Udbur Gate, Karmad Gate, Kallahatti and Veeranahosahalli Check Posts all coming under the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.



The notification also mentions that tourists who use Dammanakatte and Nanachi Gate for parking their vehicles too have to pay a parking fee of Rs. 50 for LMV and Rs. 100 for heavy vehicles.



Decision during PCCF visit



Sources told Star of Mysore that on Jan. 18, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Rajiv Ranjan visited the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve and during a meeting with the Forest Department officers, the issue of tourists throwing garbage, plastic waste and food waste inside the forests came up.



It was proposed during the deliberations that a nominal entry fee must be collected from tourists who enter the Tiger Reserve from various gates. It was also observed that a majority of the non-KA vehicles entering the check posts are from Kerala and the visitors habitually throw plastic waste, food waste and paper inside the Tiger Reserve before they exit to their State.



Though signboards have been put up not to litter inside the Tiger Reserve, many of these commuters deliberately do so. Even they blatantly stop their vehicles inside the forests to click photos and a penalty of Rs. 500 is not a deterrent, the officers told the PCCF.



Funds for cleaning/ maintenance



The money collected at the check posts every day is taken to the office of the jurisdictional Range Forest Officer and deposited in the banks the next day. At the Anechowkur Gate alone, more than 5,000 Kerala-registered vehicles enter and exit every day and on average, the collection crosses the Rs. 1 lakh mark daily.  



People and funds will be mobilised for the cleaning and maintenance of roadside borders every week.

Intraday stocks under 50 NSE India Twitter of India

Vote Up Vote Down

Login to post a comment!