NH construction works turn wildlife corridor in Kaziranga into a death trap for animals

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 27, 2024

Construction activities are going on in the animal corridors (on National Highway-37) of the Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve in violation of the conditions specified by the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).

This was alleged by RTI activist and wildlife conservationist Rohit Choudhury in a letter to Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupinder Yadav in a letter on June 17.

In the 78th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife held on February 22, 2024, under the chairmanship of Union minister for environment, forest & climate change, the proposal for widening and improvement of the existing carriageway to 4 lane configuration from Kaliabor to Numaligarh section of NH-37 (new NH-715) [85.675 km] was approved subject to specific conditions.

According to the conditions put by the Standing Committee of the NBW, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) shall not carry out any construction activities on the animal corridors during flood time i.e. from June to September, no adverse impact shall be caused to wild animals and their habitat, user agency shall fund the construction of forest check posts (24×7 manned and CCTV equipped) along the highway for monitoring vehicle movements and the number of check posts and location to be decided in consultation with park authorities, the user agency shall install automatic speed detection sensors for speed regulation.

Under the conditions, the NHAI has to minimize the light pollution, there shall not be any street lights on elevated roads. Instead, lighting shall be provided on the concrete crash barrier on the superstructure, the alignment of the proposed elevated road is on the southern side near Deosur Hill, and therefore the existing road shall be decommissioned to ensure that Deosur Hill serves as safe ground for wild animals during the high flood and also acts as a natural highland and Assam chief wildlife warden will set up monitoring mechanism for ensuring compliance of recommendations of this committee as well as that of the Wildlife Institute India (WWI) review of mitigation measures.

Choudhury alleged that the state government has blatantly violated conditions by allowing construction in the Haldhibari wildlife corridor starting from June 2024 even as the flood season commences. The Public Works Department (National Highway) of  Assam government damaged the Haldhibari Corridor by converting the metal-based road into an RCC one, widening the NH-37 by 6-7 feet on average on each side, and gravelling the road margins thereby destroying the grass cover which is extensively used by herbivores for foraging and shelter during the flood season.

“Haldhibari wildlife corridor is one of the most active corridors which is used 24×7 by the wildlife of the park, and the importance of the same was highlighted by none other than the chief minister of Assam in his tweet on August 8, 2023, by uploading a video of a Royal Bengal Tiger crossing the corridor,” Choudhury said.

“Assam government has also allowed the installation of fender barriers and metal cable fencing on concrete & metal posts in the Burapahar area, along with laying of paver-blocks on roadsides, and installation of solar flood lights in the wildlife corridors at Burapahar and elsewhere. This is in clear violation of the condition of the Standing Committee,” he said.

He alleged that the speed-sensing camera equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognizing (ANPR) Radar installed at Maloni (opposite Burapahar Tea Estate) in the Hatidandi/Kanchanjuri Corridor in 2017 under the orders of NGT, had mysteriously gone missing in 2021 and was never re-installed. This has turned the corridor into a death trap for wildlife owing to speeding vehicles.

He also said the SC-NBWL calls for a monitoring mechanism, the chief wildlife warden, the PCCF & HoFF, director, Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve and the divisional forest officer (DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Bokakhat have all turned a blind eye to the violations. The same is the case with the National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi and its regional office in Guwahati.

“I request your respected self to issue necessary directions to the Assam government to halt the construction activities on the Haldhibari wildlife corridor and impose a penalty on chief engineer, Public Works (National Highways) of Assam government for carrying out construction activity in violation of the conditions of approval of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife,” he said.

“Explanation may be sought from the Assam, government on the missing speed-sensing cameras equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognizing (ANPR) Radar. Also, complete details of all other speed sensing cameras may be sought,” he also said.

“Disciplinary action may be taken against chief wildlife warden, inspector general of forests, integrated regional office, Guwahati, MOEFCC, director, Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve and DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Bokahat, for failing to halt activities detrimental to the wildlife being carried out in violation of the conditions of approval,” he added.