Bengaluru: The Forest Department has declined to allow widening of the National Highway-44 cutting through the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary fearing loss of wildlife and virgin moist deciduous forest.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has requested the Forest department to part with 6.423 hectares of pristine land between Castle Rock and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary for widening the NH-44, a 84-km stretch from Belagavi to Goa.

This is three hectares less than the earlier proposal by the NHAI. The proposed road project is likely to uproot at least 37,000 trees.

In 2013, the NHAI had proposed to acquire 9.476 hectares to make a 14-metre-wide road.

The revised plan has reduced the highway width to 14 metres in general and 12 metres through the forest. The existing road is seven metres wide.

K Srinivasalu, Director and Chief Conservator of Forests, Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) told that the proposal has not been cleared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and is subject to recommendations and mitigation measures suggested by the Forest department.

The Forest department is contemplating to allow an underpass or an over-bridge with proper road signage so that wildlife and forests remain unaffected. Srinivasulu has made these suggestions to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) in the first week of August. The department insists that the existing road width of seven metres should not be increased.

The highway work has already begun in the territorial forest division and towards Belagavi.

As in Nagarhole and Bandipur Tiger reserves, traffic is banned even in the KTR. But if the road through the KTR is widened, then there will be round-the-clock movement of heavy vehicles. This will have an adverse effect on the wildlife, particularly tigers.

The KTR is also home to the endangered Black Panther, Malabar Giant Squirrels and Hornbills, which will face threat of road kill.