Four-laning of NH-715 section to help curb man animal conflict

THe storage locker citizens committee on economical Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the PM, Narendra Modi, has sanctioned broadening and improvement of existing carriageway to 4 lane of Kalibor- Numaligarh section of NH-715. A major part of the existing highway passes either through the Kaziranga National Park or along the southern boundary of the park.The project will be developed on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode with a total Length of 85.675 km and total capital cost of Rs.6957 crore. There will be interventions to mitigate impacts on wildlife, a statement from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has said.The existing Kalibor- Numaligarh section of NH-715 (old NH-37) has a configuration of 2-lane with/without paved shoulders, passing through densely built-up areas of Jakhlabandha (Nagaon) and Bokakhat (Golaghat) towns.A major part of the existing highway passes either through the Kaziranga National Park or along the southern boundary of the park, having restricted right of way (ROW) of 16 to 32 metres further aggravated by substantially poor geometrics, the statement said.During the monsoons, the area inside the park gets flooded leading to the movement of the wildlife from the park towards the elevated Karbi-Anglong Hills by crossing the existing highway. The heavy round-the-clock traffic on the highway results in frequent accidents and deaths of wild animals, it added.“To address these challenges, the project will involve construction of an elevated corridor of about 34.5 km, covering entire cross movement of wildlife from Kaziranga National Park to Karbi- Anglong Hills for free and uninterrupted passage of wildlife along with upgradation of 30.22 km of existing road and construct a 21 kms of greenfield bypasses around Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat. This will decongest the existing corridor, improve safety, and enhance the direct connectivity between Guwahati (the State Capital), Kaziranga National Park (tourism destination), and Numaligarh (an industrial town),” the statement has said.Further, upon completion, the Kalibor- Numaligarh section will play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major tourism, industrial and economic centers, boosting tourism to Kaziranga National Park, and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development. The project will also generate approximately 15.42 lakh person-days of direct and 19.19 lakh person-days of indirect employment, and will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in surrounding regions, CCEA has said.