India To Follow Netherlands, Will Soon Have 'Animal Bridges' For Safe Passage Of Wildlife

To ensure a safe passage to the wildlife and to reduce the possibilities of human-animal conflict, India is all set to have its first-ever animal overpasses at the under-construction Delhi-Mumbai greenfield expressway.

According to the Times of India, these corridors will be on the lines of "animal bridges/ecoducts" in the Netherlands for safe passage of animals and have been planned to ensure there are no disturbances to the Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor connecting Ranthambhore and Mukundra (Darrah) wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan.

The plan reportedly approved by the Rajasthan government and has been forwarded to the central wildlife board and is likely to be taken up next week. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given the work to an infrastructure major and the agreement would be signed next week.

The Delhi-Mumbai expressway will have five such animal overpasses, natural-looking structures, with a combined length of over 2.5 km.

"There will be no chance of any conflict as the wild animals will get such passage at every 500 metres interval. The passages will be developed as part of a forest corridor with trees so that animals find it natural," a source privy to the matter told the national daily.

The source also stated that the NHAI is keen to project it as a sustainable model of development and for mitigation of the wildlife conflict. These structures would also be equipped with a boundary wall and noise barriers.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently informed that the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project will be complete by 2022. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, one of seven currently under construction, will help in decreasing logistic time and cost.

Interestingly, Mahindra & Mahindra chief Anand Mahindra, on August 29 attached picture of an ecoduct constructed over a highway in the Netherlands and had asked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to make such 'wildlife bridges a standard feature while constructing highways through particular zones' in his tweet.

"The perfect way to coexist. @nitin_gadkari ji if you can make this a standard feature when building highways through particular zones, we will give you a standing ovation," had tweeted the business tycoon.

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