Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Kaziranga elevated corridor project in Assam, to be built at a massive ₹6,957-crore budget.
Having arrived in Assam’s Nagaon district from Guwahati in the final leg of his two-day visit to the state, he performed the ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ of the Kaziranga project and virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains – Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and Kamakhya-Rohtak, which will significantly enhance long-distance rail connectivity between Assam and multiple states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana, reduce travel time, and provide modern passenger amenities.
The prime minister also reviewed a model of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor.
The landmark project is aimed at ensuring safe wildlife movement in the Kaziranga national park and boosting ecotourism, officials said, adding that it will also help reduce accidents on National Highway-37.
Designed in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court and the recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India, as per information by one of the government officials, the flagship infrastructure project includes the four-laning of the Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-37 (New NH-715) and approximately 34.45 km of elevated corridor, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat.
The famed Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in the state is renowned for its biodiversity, having the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, along with significant numbers of tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer, amidst Brahmaputra River floodplains with extensive grasslands, forests, and wetlands.
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Accidents in the area often spike during the annual monsoon season when rising floodwaters in the Brahmaputra force animals to migrate to the higher grounds of the Karbi Anglong hills, requiring them to cross the busy highway. They are often hit by high-speed vehicles while crossing.
A senior government official said the elevated corridor will help ensure the protection of the rich biodiversity of the Kaziranga National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It will be implemented by NHIDCL under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the construction will be completed in 36 months, another official informed.
The Centre’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the widening of the 86.675-km stretch of the highway to four lanes and the construction of a 34.5-km elevated corridor with the area underneath for the crossing of animals from the national park to the Karbi Anglong Hills, particularly during the flood season.
Prime Minister Modi had posted on X earlier, saying he is looking forward to being in Kaliabor for the foundation-laying.
“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 PM posted on X.
State Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, also said the elevated corridor across Kaziranga is a landmark step towards protecting wildlife, while strengthening connectivity.
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