35 km elevated corridor in Assam seeks to prevent animal deaths in Kaziranga during flood

Assam government is fast-tracking a project to construct a 35-km-long elevated corridor on the stretch of NH-37 passing through the famous Kaziranga National Park in order to prevent animal deaths during floods almost every year and for tourism promotion.

The proposal for construction of the elevated corridor has been prepared by PWD department in consultation with the Wildlife Institute of India. The corridor is being planned on the highway between Jakhalabandha to Bokakhat.

Chairing a review meeting on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed the PWD officials to fast track the project as this has been a long demand from wildlife conservationists.

Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, since 1985 and one of the major tourist attractions mainly due to its iconic one-one-horned rhino population (2,413 in 2018) is sandwiched between the river Brahmaputra and Karbi Anglong hills. As the Monsoon rain in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh hills raise water level and inundate the park, animals are often seen rushing to Karbi Anglong hills to avoid the floods. Many animals are mowed down by vehicles plying on the highway that runs almost parallel to the Karbi hills.

While the rhinos, elephants and other animals drown in the flooded Kaziranga, many hog deer, wild boar and some other animals are killed on the NH-37 while rushing to the hills of Karbi Anglong.

According to wildlife conservationists, the elevated corridor will offer a free passage to wild animals to take shelter on the hills, prevent deaths and also promote tourism.

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