GUWAHATI: The Assam government is expediting a project to construct a 35-km flyover on the stretch of National Highway 37, which passes through the famous Kaziranga National Park in order to prevent animal deaths during floods and to promote tourism. The flyover is expected to provide alternate routes to vehicles and open up space for animal movement across the highway.
Assam chief minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier this week met Union road transport and highways minister
Nitin Gadkari, who has given a favourable response to the proposal, which has been drafted after close consultation with the
Wildlife Institute of India.
During a discussion on the cut motion on supplementary demands for grants in the assembly,
Sarma said the ambitious project has been discussed at length with Gadkari. “If we can construct a 35-km elevated road on this stretch, then the animals will be saved,” Sarma said. Every year, during the monsoon, hundreds of animals perish in the inundated park. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries, which flow to the north of the park, inundate vast areas of Kaziranga every year.