Elevated corridor for Kaziranga flood mitigation

The easing of traffic restrictions through Kaziranga National Park (KNP) follows an improvement in the flood situation at the World Heritage Site, but guards against reckless driving must not be lowered as the migration of animals from Karbi Hills continues. This year’s ravaging flood, taking the highest toll on park wildlife since 2019, has pressed the alarm bell for expediting the construction of the proposed elevated corridor through the national park. Barrier-free migration is crucial for the conservation of park animals during floods, and the elevated corridor is the pragmatic solution to facilitate it. The proposal to construct the elevated road was initiated a few years ago in 2014, and any further delay will be irrational as the project is crucial to reclaiming the animal corridors for safe movement of park animals from grassland areas to Karbi Hills and vice versa. The Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has already approved the diversion of 20.42 hectares of forest land from the core zone of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve widening and the improvement of the existing 2-lane National Highway to 4 lanes from Kaliabor to Numaligarh, which will be elevated in three stretches covering a total length of 35 km. The three elevated stretches of 20 km, 10 km, and 5 km will facilitate the free movement of wildlife across 11 identified animal corridors. The Standing Committee of the NBWL has given its approval, subject to fulfilling certain conditions. These conditions are: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) shall not carry out any construction activities on the animal corridors during the flood period from June to September. The height of the flyovers should not be less than 9 metres at any point on the horizontal portion of the flyover except the portion where the flyovers will descend. No adverse impact shall be caused to wild animals or their habitat. Minimal tree felling shall be resorted to in the forest land, and no construction activities shall be carried out between the sunset and sunrise within the protected area, as well as animal corridors. Another two key conditions imposed by NBWL are: the latest technological means shall be adopted for completing the elevated road construction within 24 months so as to minimise the disturbance caused by construction activities to wildlife. NHAI and the user agency should ensure the timely and adequate release of budgeted money so that this timeframe of completion may be maintained. The existing road below the superstructure is to be decommissioned, as stipulated by the NBWL. The NHAI will also be required to ensure that a 4-lane highway on the ground should have box culverts of 5-metre height and 5-metre width at every 300–500 metres to facilitate the movement of wild animals during heavy floods, and animal underpasses’ height should be attained by elevating the structures and not by digging trenches. Strict monitoring and inspection of compliance with these conditions will be crucial to achieving the objectives behind the construction of the proposed elevated 4-lane corridor through the park. The NBWL has also recommended declaring the adjoining Karbi Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary as the satellite core of the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve for the long-term viability of the national park and to offset the forest cover losses caused by the elevated road project. Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council extending full cooperation will be crucial to implementing it. Relocation of human habitations that have come up in animal corridor areas will be a key task to be carried out by the Assam Forest Department, as it is listed as one of the 34 conditions imposed while granting approval to the project. The department will be required to prepare a proper relocation plan with financial outlays, which will be implemented with earmarked project funds. Through its long list of conditions, the NBWL has flagged the concern over animal safety from different stages of construction activities to be undertaken during the project period. The project being an initiative by the state government, the onus lies on it to ensure that project work is not delayed, fund flow is smooth, and flood mitigation in the national park is optimally achieved. Heavy traffic escorted in convoy during the peak flood period to facilitate safe migration of wildlife across the highway is indicative of the traffic scenario in the coming years. With development activities and mega infrastructure projects gaining pace in eastern Assam districts and neighbouring states, the traffic through the park is poised to increase manifold. Lessons must be learned from the poor implementation of four-lane highway projects in the upper Assam district, resulting in undue delay and causing huge convenience to daily commuters, besides increasing the risk of road fatalities. Conservation priorities for biodiversity in KNP leave no room for any delay in project execution as it would seriously affect wildlife movement across the corridors. The elevated corridor project not missing the target deadline must be the top priority for all stakeholders.