KALPETTA: The people of Wayanad are worried after the National Tiger Conservation Authority restarted the move for a tiger sanctuary in Wayanad. If a tiger sanctuary is formed, it will be a setback for the farmers. The night traffic ban continues on NH 766. Sulthan Bathery town is around one kilometre from the wildlife sanctuary. With stricter restrictions coming in, this will create more hurdles for those near the forest border.

The tiger sanctuary project in Wayanad was delayed due to the agitation of residents. With the increase in the number of tigers in the forests of the Western Ghats, the authority is once again urged to take such a move. Moreover, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, which shares the border with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, are currently tiger sanctuaries. The National Tiger Conservation Authority estimates that if Wayanad is included, the forests of the three states can be combined into a large tiger reserve. Figures indicate that Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has the largest number of tigers in Kerala. In a recent study, more tigers were found in Wayanad forests too. That is why the National Tiger Conservation Authority is moving towards making the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger sanctuary. There are currently 213 tigers in the forests of Kerala. There were 190 tigers in the 2018 census.