Assam: Central Government Prioritizes Rs 5,500-Crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor

KAZIRANGA: The proposed 86-km four-lane elevated stretch in Kaziranga has been placed on the Government of India’s priority list of NH works for the financial year 2024–25.

The list curated by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) pertains to the approved and prioritized annual plan for NH works for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for this year. This is the only project in Assam making it to the list.

The inclusion of the project in the priority list was reflected in an office memorandum of MoRTH dated August 14, 2024. The memo states that the 86-km elevated corridor in Kaziranga will be constructed in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). The total project cost is calculated at Rs 5,500 crore.

Approval for the project has already been accorded by the National Board for Wild Life for the use of 20,4284 ha of forest land from the Core Zone of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and 364.9851 ha (8.6774 ha of forest land and 356.3077 ha of non-forest land) from the default eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve for ‘Widening and Improvement of Existing Carriage Way to 4 Lane Configuration from Kaliabor to Numaligarh section of NH-37 (New NH715) in the state of Assam.’

During the meeting of NBWL, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and head of forest forces (HoFF), Assam, stated that the proposal has been made for mitigation measures with complete elevation of the road for three stretches of 20 km, 10 km, and 5 km.

The purpose of the project, a mitigation plan in itself, is to ensure 24 x 7 movement of animals across the road. The proposal was initiated from 2014 onwards. It was stated that a lot of research has gone into this mitigation plan, with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on board.

There are 11 corridors identified in the area, and to facilitate the movement of animals, the road would be elevated in three stretches. There won’t be any difficulty in animal movement to the other side of the NH. The project would be carried out with state-of-the art technology.

The construction material shall be prepared outside the project area, and only piling will be done between sunrise and sunset. No construction work would be carried out during the night. There will be minimal disturbance to the wildlife due to the project.

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