NHAI to expedite stalled flyover work around animal corridors

DEHRADUN: For many years not a single tiger, who have otherwise been smoothing moving to and fro from Corbett to eastern part of Rajai, has been able to cross to western Rajai via Chilla-Motichur corridor. The traffic on the national highway dissecting both parts is one of the reason. Similarly movement of both tigers and elephants from Rajaji to Dehradun forest division has become difficult for another two highly crammed NH roads.

Supreme Court had directed construction of three flyovers in 2011 for diversion of traffic on these roads which impeded three significant animal corridors-Laltapar, Teen Pani and most importantly Chilla-Motichur. But the deadline of completion of work has already gotten over in 2013. The flyovers, proposed two km long with total project cost Rs 172 crore, are still hanging incomplete while the volume of traffic has increased on these roads over the years.

It is quite recently, chairman, NHAI has set the ball rolling by assuring to expedite the stalled work this year. The assurance was given in a meeting attended by officials from environment ministry, National Tiger Conservation Authority, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

VB Mathur, director WII said, "The assurance coming from NHAI chairman to expedite the flyover work means that it will be completed without any further delay. He said the contractors who are responsible for delay will be changed. Once completed, these will be first flyovers in the country which were constructed to facilitate wildlife movement through their corridors."

He said, the work was stalled for many years, which badly affected the movement of wildlife from Eastern RTR to Western RTR and, from Rajaji to Dehradun Forest Division (DFD). "While the flyover work got stalled, the volume of traffic on the NH roads kept increasing. The incomplete structures posed further difficulty for wildlife. Therefore it had become quite essential to complete the work," said Mathur.

Once complete, ecological restoration and mitigating measures will have to be taken. AK Singh, senior official of WWF said, "It would take some days for the wild animals to get used of the traffic on the flyover while moving on the highway road in the day time. In place of road, ecological restoration work such as creation of grassland, bushes and trees can be grown while pillars can be covered with creepers. To minimize the effect of light at night, either the traffic should be halted at night on flyover or measures such as technological intervention or tall erecting fibre sheets from both sides on flyover walls can be erected to cover up lights."