BENGALURU, 11 JAN

The much-awaited elephant corridor on the busy Kanakapura Road (National Highway-209) at Agara Cross in South Bengaluru is expected to open its doors in March this year.

Wild jumbos have been crossing the NH-209 highway to move between Bannerghatta National Park and Savandurga Reserve Forest in Ramanagar District. The overpass is expected to reduce man-animal conflict and prevent the elephants from being run over by vehicles on the stretch. 

The project to consider the overpass was mooted after the death of a wild elephant in March 2023 after being hit by a BMTC bus near Roerich and Devika Rani Roerich Estate on Kanakapura Road. “The project, costing around Rs 32.4 crore, was started in March 2023 and is scheduled to be completed by March 2024,” a Project Manager of National Highway Authority of India, Ramanagara, told Salar News. After the launch of the overpass, animals can move between the forests without coming in contact with humans, he said. Having crash barriers to prevent straying into roads, the new overpass will have a width of around 40 metres and a length of around 45 metres.

The corridor will also prevent wild elephant attacks on vehicles. There are currently 9 elephant corridors in Karnataka.

Dr Prayag Hodigere Siddalingappa, Chief Wildlife Veterinarian, said: “There are underpasses for tigers in Maharashtra and overpasses for animals are already there in foreign countries. I am happy that we are moving towards that direction.”

As Bengaluru expands, it even encroaches upon the elephant and wildlife habitats. The highways and roads that cut through the forests disrupt animals’ traditional migratory routes to acquire food and water, and they then tend to stray into farmlands and roads leading to human-wildlife conflicts, the forensic expert said. The new corridor not only plays a vital role in the survival of the majestic gentle giants but also prevents their conflicts with humans. —Salar News