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The Rs 6,957-crore project includes a 34.5-km elevated corridor and four-laning of NH-37 to ensure safe animal movement and reduce road accidents.
The corridor, to be built by NHIDCL within 36 months, will allow wildlife to move between the national park and Karbi Anglong Hills, especially during floods.
The Kaziranga elevated corridor project, whose foundation stone will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, is intended to facilitate safe wildlife movement within the national park while also promoting ecotourism, officials said.
The Rs 6,957-crore project is also expected to significantly reduce accidents along National Highway-37, they added.
According to officials, the project involves the four-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh stretch of NH-37 (renumbered as NH-715) and the construction of an elevated corridor spanning around 34.45 km, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat.
They said the design complies with directions issued by the Supreme Court and incorporates recommendations from the Wildlife Institute of India.
The key objectives are to improve road connectivity between Central and Upper Assam while safeguarding the rich biodiversity of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The flagship infrastructure project will be executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, with construction scheduled to be completed within 36 months.
The Centre’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the widening of the 86.675-km highway stretch to four lanes, along with the construction of a 34.5-km elevated corridor. The space beneath the corridor will allow animals to move between the national park and the Karbi Anglong Hills, especially during the annual flood season.
''Looking forward to being in Kaliabor, Assam today for the Bhoomi Poojan of key development works, including the 35 km elevated corridor across Kaziranga. This will go a long way in safeguarding animals, particularly in the monsoon season'', the Prime Minister posted on ‘X’.
Responding to the post, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the elevated corridor across Kaziranga marked a landmark step in wildlife protection while also strengthening regional connectivity.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is globally renowned for its biodiversity. It is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses and supports substantial numbers of tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo and swamp deer, set amid the Brahmaputra floodplains with their extensive grasslands, forests and wetlands.
(with pti inputs)
