Kaziranga Elevated Corridor map

Map of Kaziranga Elevated Corridor (Image: PIB)

Here’s why Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is crucial for Assam

On completion, the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is expected to play an important role in economic growth of the region by strengthening connectivity, boost tourism to Kaziranga National Park and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development. It will also generate employment opportunities for the local youths.

The elevated wildlife corridor will not only ensure uninterrupted movement of animals but also reduce human-wildlife conflict. The project will further enhance road safety, reduce travel time and accident rates, and support growing passenger and freight traffic. Here’s a look at why the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor is crucial for Assam: 

According to a PIB release, the existing Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 (old NH-37) is a two-lane road, with or without paved shoulders and passes through the densely built-up areas of Jakhalabandha in Nagaon district and Bokakhat in Golaghat district.

The release further said that 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.

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.

To address these challenges, the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project will involve the construction of around 34.5-km-long elevated corridor to facilitate the free and uninterrupted movement of wildlife between Kaziranga National Park and the Karbi Anglong Hills.

The project also includes the upgradation of 30.22 km of the existing road and the construction of 21 km of greenfield bypasses around Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat. It 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).

Significance of Kaziranga Elevated Corridor

Once completed, the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, with its alignment integrating two major National Highways (NH-127 and NH-129) and one State Highway (SH-35), will provide seamless connectivity to key economic, social and logistics hubs across the state.

Apart from these, the upgraded corridor will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with 3 railway stations (Nagaon, Jakhalabandha, Vishwanath Charli) and 3 airports (Tezpur, Liabari, Jorhat) thereby facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers across the region.