Over the past five years (2020-2024), at least 82 large mammals including endangered hog deer, rhinos, and elephants have been killed in vehicle collisions near Kaziranga, according to environmental reports
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday hailed a new elevated highway corridor as a game-changer for safe wildlife passage in Kaziranga National Park.
But stark data paints a grim picture of ongoing vehicular carnage, with dozens of animals losing their lives annually to speeding traffic on the adjacent national highway.
Over the past five years (2020-2024), at least 82 large mammals including endangered hog deer, rhinos, and elephants have been killed in vehicle collisions near Kaziranga, according to environmental reports.
The toll peaked in 2022 with 22 deaths, followed by 14 during the 2024 floods alone, underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure like the proposed 34.45 km elevated section over the park. Broader studies reveal even higher numbers when including smaller species: a Wildlife Institute of India assessment logged 1,176 roadkills in 2019 alone, mostly reptiles and birds, while a two-year survey (2019-2020) tallied over 6,000 across vertebrates.
In a post on X late Wednesday, Sarma expressed his gratitude: "My gratitude to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the Union Cabinet for approving the widening of the 4 Lane Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of the NH-715 at a cost of ?6,957cr. The project also includes the ambitious 34km Elevated Corridor in Kaziranga which will ease traffic movement and at the same time save the lives of our faunal friends who fall victims to accidents. This is a major infrastructure project which will transform connectivity in Assam and open a new template of human-animal coexistence."
The toll peaked in 2022 with 22 deaths, followed by 14 during the 2024 floods alone, underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure like the proposed 34.45 km elevated section over the park. Broader studies reveal even higher numbers when including smaller species: a Wildlife Institute of India assessment logged 1,176 roadkills in 2019 alone, mostly reptiles and birds, while a two-year survey (2019-2020) tallied over 6,000 across vertebrates.
"These figures are heartbreaking reminders that our roads are death traps for Kaziranga's biodiversity," said a Wildlife Conservationist
The Union Cabinet's approval, targets the 85.67 km Kaliabor-Numaligarh stretch of NH-715, converting it to four lanes at a total outlay of Rs 6,957 crore.A key feature is the 34.45 km elevated corridor traversing Kaziranga, designed to allow seamless animal migration during monsoons while decongesting the Guwahati-Kaziranga-Numaligarh route and boosting safety.
Beyond wildlife, the project promises economic ripple effects, generating 15.42 lakh direct and 19.19 lakh indirect person-days of employment, spurring tourism and industry in Assam's northeast.
"This isn't just a road; it's an investment in sustainable growth,"a noted infrastructure expert said "By prioritizing eco-friendly design, Assam sets a global benchmark for balancing development and conservation."
As construction ramps up, conservationists remain cautiously optimistic.
With Kaziranga home to two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhinos, the corridor could prevent future tragedies, turning a highway of peril into a bridge to coexistence.
