Assess ecological implications of proposed elevated corridor in Kaziranga, UNESCO urged

GUWAHATI

A resident of central Assam has urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to send a fact-finding or monitoring team to assess the ecological implications of a proposed 35.45-km elevated corridor along a highway on the southern periphery of the core area of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Prasanta Kumar Saikia of Nagaon district’s Gomothagaon village also advised the UN body to request the governments of India and Assam not to proceed with the construction of the elevated corridor until a thorough evaluation is completed.

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In a letter to UNESCO Director-General Khaled el-Enany on November 19, 2025, Mr. Saikia said the United Nations (UN) body should ensure strict compliance with World Heritage Site conservation guidelines, particularly those related to safeguarding wildlife corridors and preventing habitat fragmentation.

Kaziranga National Park, renowned for its unique biodiversity and as a vital habitat of the one-horned rhinoceros and several other endangered species, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

In October, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the foundation stone for the much-awaited Kaziranga elevated corridor would be laid in January 2026. The Centre approved the project during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Mr. Saikia said the project could take at least four years to complete. “While the project is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and preventing road kill incidents, especially during the monsoon floods, the long-drawn-out construction process itself is expected to cause significant disturbances to the park’s endangered wildlife population,” he wrote.

“The (project) site lies within a Conservation International-designated Conservation Hotspot, a WWF Global 200 Eco-region, and is one of the world’s endemic bird areas, the avifauna comprising more than 300 species. The park is home to about 35 major mammal species, including 15 of India’s threatened Schedule I species, and harbours more than 70% of the world’s population of the one-horned Indian rhinoceros,” Mr. Saikia said.

“Violation of Heritage Convention”

Pointing out that the proposed project is in “total violation” of the World Heritage Convention, he said the prolonged noises, vibrations, heavy machinery movement, and human activity involved in the construction of the elevated corridor are likely to disrupt the free movement of animals immeasurably and disturb the breeding patterns of several endangered species in the wild habitat.

The government, however, claimed the project, worth ₹6,957 crore, would ensure safe wildlife movement across the Kaziranga National Park, reduce road accidents on National Highway 37, and boost ecotourism while generating local employment opportunities.

The project will span nine animal corridors crossing the highway. Animals use these corridors during the monsoon to escape the flooded national park and move to the safety of the hills in the adjoining Karbi Anglong district across the highway.

“Under the engineering, procurement, and construction mode, the project will also include widening 30.22 km of existing road and developing 21 km of greenfield bypasses, further improving connectivity and reducing congestion around the park,” the government said.