- Why in news
- On 14 April 2026 the Prime Minister is to review the wildlife corridor on the elevated section near Saharanpur and inaugurate the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor in Dehradun (release dated 13 April 2026).
- What it is
- 'Landscapes Reconnected' is a Wildlife Institute of India report done with NHAI. It assesses how animals use underpasses and elevated stretches built on the Ganeshpur–Asharodi section of the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor, which passes through Shivalik forest. It is a case study of wildlife mitigation measures on a national highway.
- Length and cost
- The corridor is 213 km long, six-lane and access-controlled, built at over ₹12,000 crore.
- States covered
- It passes through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- Elevated wildlife corridor
- A 12 km elevated wildlife corridor is described as one of the longest in Asia.
- Other wildlife features
- Eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 m each, and a 370 m tunnel near the Daat Kali temple.
- Traffic management
- The corridor has an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).
- Publishers
- The report was released by NHAI in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India.
- Study area
- The study covered an 18 km stretch between Ganeshpur and Asharodi, split into three zones.
- Method
- A 40-day monitoring used 150 camera traps and 29 AudioMoth acoustic recorders.
- Noise effect
- Generalists like golden jackal and wild boar tolerate traffic noise; elephants and spotted deer prefer quieter segments.
Don’t confuse with Elevated corridor vs underpass: An elevated stretch lets animals pass beneath a raised road; an underpass is a tunnel-like passage under a road at ground level. Both are wildlife crossing structures.
Don’t confuse with Underpass vs overpass: An underpass lets animals pass beneath the road, often under an elevated section; an overpass (green bridge) carries them over it.
Don’t confuse with WII vs NHAI: WII is the research body that did the study; NHAI is the highway builder that commissioned and released it.
Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.
Why it matters
- Shows how high-speed roads can be built with wildlife passage, reducing animal-vehicle conflict.
- Cuts Delhi–Dehradun travel time from over six hours to about 2.5 hours, aiding trade and tourism.
- Gives field evidence that highways can be built through sensitive forest while keeping animal movement open.
- Shows how design (height, noise control) affects use, guiding future projects.
Problems
- Animals may not use crossings unless monitored and designed for each species, which is why studies like the WII report matter.
- Fragmenting forests such as the Shivaliks can still raise human-animal conflict.
- Noise-sensitive species avoid louder underpass segments.
- The study ran only 40 days, so seasonal and long-term effects are not covered.
Way forward
- Monitor crossings over time and apply the lessons to other highways through forests.
- Build mitigation into project planning from the start, not as an afterthought.
- Add sound barriers at high-frequency crossing points.
- Continue long-term, data-driven monitoring and apply the design lessons to other highways in forest areas.
Put in your answer
Case study: Delhi–Dehradun corridor: Use it as an example of linear infrastructure with wildlife mitigation: a 12 km elevated stretch, animal passes and elephant underpasses.
Elephant use: Elephants were recorded using the underpasses 60 times, showing large mammals can use such structures.
Reduced isolation: The release says the corridor lowered human–wildlife conflict risk and the risk of population isolation in the Shivalik landscape.
- 2019Mains GS1 · Q15How to restore mountain ecosystems damaged by development and tourism.
- 2016Mains GS3 · Q14Measures to mitigate rehabilitation impacts of major development projects.
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q7How to manage infrastructure development versus disaster-risk reduction in ecologically sensitive areas.
- 2023Prelims Q10Which statements on India's connectivity projects and economic corridors are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Same lasting issue on file: wildlife elevated corridor on the Delhi-Dehradun corridor. Places and infrastructure rarely reach Mains; a visit schedule offers few testable facts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.