SC Calls for Quick Finish of Wildlife-Friendly Elevated Path in Kaziranga National Park.
The Supreme Court stated today that it anticipates the NHAI will quickly finish the planned elevated corridor of about 34 kilometers in Kaziranga National Park. It also expects full support from other stakeholders for this wildlife-friendly initiative. The Assam government informed the court that this corridor is designed for the National Park, known for its one-horned rhinoceros. They updated a bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is currently working on a detailed project report, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has prioritized the project.
The bench remarked that Assam and MoRTH are taking important steps to create an elevated corridor that connects two sections of the Kaziranga sanctuary, allowing wildlife to move freely between them. They expressed their expectation for the NHAI to complete the project as soon as possible and for other stakeholders to fully cooperate to ensure its swift completion. The Supreme Court was reviewing a case related to Kaziranga National Park in Assam and noted that, following its March 13 order, both the Assam government and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) have submitted their affidavits.
The state’s affidavit mentioned that the National Board for Wildlife has approved the plan to divert about 20 hectares of forest land. The bench also looked at the KAAC’s affidavit regarding mining activities near the national park. The Supreme Court noted that, according to the affidavit, mining in the southern areas bordering the national park has already been halted. The bench stated that the KAAC has taken necessary actions to stop illegal mining near Kaziranga National Park. On November 4 of last year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Rs 5,500 crore has been set aside for building a wildlife-friendly elevated expressway for Kaziranga National Park.
This four-lane elevated road along NH-715 (formerly NH-37) will span three locations, covering a total of 34.28 km, and will include two tunnels, as stated by the chief minister. The idea for the wildlife-friendly road was created in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, featuring elevated roads and tunnels designed to serve as animal underpasses and overpasses. In addition to rhinoceroses, the park is home to animals such as hoolock gibbons, tigers, leopards, Indian elephants, sloth bears, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
