Guwahati: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the widening and improvement of the Kalibor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 in Assam, with a strong emphasis on protecting Kaziranga National Park’s wildlife movement.
The ₹6,957-crore project, spanning 85.675 km, is designed not just as an infrastructure upgrade but as a lifeline for the animals of Kaziranga, which has long struggled with rising roadkills along NH-37 (now NH-715).
A major highlight is the proposed 34.5 km elevated corridor running across Kaziranga’s critical stretch, ensuring free and uninterrupted passage for animals crossing between the floodplains of the park and the Karbi-Anglong Hills. During the annual monsoon floods, wildlife—including elephants, rhinos, deer, and tigers—instinctively move across the highway to higher ground, often leading to fatal collisions with vehicles.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X- 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.
Officials said the elevated structure will act as a dedicated wildlife-friendly highway, mitigating one of Kaziranga’s most persistent conservation challenges. The corridor is expected to become one of India’s longest wildlife passages.
Alongside the elevated section, the plan includes 30.22 km of road upgradation and 21 km of greenfield bypasses around Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat towns to reduce congestion and local traffic pressure on the Kaziranga stretch.
“The highway has been a death trap for our wildlife. This project can change that, provided implementation sticks to ecological safeguards,” a senior Kaziranga forest official said, welcoming the Cabinet’s decision.
The upgraded highway will also boost connectivity between Guwahati, Kaziranga National Park, and Numaligarh, and link with other major highways and airports, improving both tourism and regional trade. Authorities estimate the project will generate 15.42 lakh person-days of direct employment and 19.19 lakh person-days of indirect jobs, while also strengthening Assam’s tourism and logistics network.
Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, has seen growing tension between conservation and infrastructure needs. With this project, the government aims to strike a balance by integrating wildlife protection into highway design—a model that could influence future projects across India’s eco-sensitive zones.