NHAI to share info on projects with wildlife institute

NEW DELHI: In an effort to avoid any face-offs between National Highways Authority of India ( NHAI) and wildlife protection organisations, the highway authority will now share coordinates of all NH projects with Wildlife Institute of India for developing GISenabled map for all highways passing through protected areas. This will help mitigate human-animal conflict and also for faster green clearances for highway projects.

Making a beginning NHAI and wildlife bodies including WII, NCTA and WWF have agreed to resolve issues relating to two highway stretches — Haridwar-Dehradun and Sitarganj-Tanakpur — in Uttarakhand. “We have agreed to expedite the construction of three elephant underpasses on Haridwar-Dehradun stretch and constructing an elevated road on a portion of SitarganjTanakpur highway, which passes through a tiger corridor. If the state will provide required land, we will build elevated stretch,” NHAI chairman Raghav Chandra told TOI.

He said the meetings with such organisations will be held every quarter and NHAI will take steps including adding small features or facilities on an existing stretch, minor change in alignment for safe passage of animals on stretches that pass through such zones. “We will be sensitive to all such issues. The objective is to find solution with consultation,” Chandra said. NHAI has also proposed using space technology for planning and monitoring of conflict zones and putting in place mitigation measures.

Meanwhile, to reduce incidents of human-animal conflicts, an environment ministry’s draft wildlife conservation plan has suggested identification and documentation of wildlife species that regularly come into such conflict.

It also suggested conduct of surveys at national and regional levels to identify wildlife species coming regularly into humans habitats.