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Vital Wildlife Corridor Threatened by Highway Expansion Project
23 Oct
Summary
- Central government urges Supreme Court to clear Delhi-Pauri highway expansion
- Project threatens to fragment wildlife corridor linking Rajaji and Corbett reserves
- Applicant claims NHAI did not seek expert opinion from Wildlife Institute of India
In a move that has raised concerns among conservationists, the central government is urging the Supreme Court to clear the Delhi-Pauri national highway expansion project. The project, which involves the four-laning of the existing NH-119 (Najibabad-Kotdwar-Pauri) road, has come under scrutiny after a plea alleged procedural lapses and a threat to wildlife.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has stated that the project received approval from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life (SC-NBWL) in March 2025. However, the applicant, a non-profit organization called the Centre for Sustainable Green Economy, claims that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) did not seek any expert opinion from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) prior to undertaking the road expansion.
The applicant further alleges that construction work has commenced on the Uttar Pradesh side of the project without implementing any wildlife mitigation measures, despite the road cutting through an elephant corridor that has seen significant tiger movement in recent times. The MoEFCC has denied any procedural flaws in the sanctioning of the project, stating that mitigation measures are prepared by the concerned state governments.
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre on the application, and the MoEFCC has filed its reply. The case is ongoing, with the court set to determine the fate of the project and its impact on the critical Rajaji-Corbett wildlife corridor.
