Wildlife thrives along Delhi-Dehradun corridor; leopard, herd of elephants and other wild animals seen using underpass

A significant milestone in sustainable development has been successfully achieved after leopard herd of elephants and other wild animals were seen using an underpass at the DelhiDehradun corridorThe DelhiDehradun Economic Corridor has helped reduce the risk of humanwildlife conflict and prevented the isolation of animal populations in the region By maintaining natural movement routes the project supports longterm biodiversity conservationThe National Highways Authority of India NHAI in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India WII has released a report titled Landscapes ReconnectedThe report presents the first clear evidence of wildlife using specially designed animal underpasses along the DelhiDehradun Economic CorridorThe findings show that modern highway development can successfully coexist with nature even in ecologically sensitive regionsUnderpasses help wildlife move safelyA leopard seen using the underpass PicSpecial ArrangementThe study focused on an 18 km stretch between Ganeshpur and Asharodi a forested region in the Shivalik range This area is home to endangered species such as tigers elephants greater hornbills and king cobrasA key feature of this corridor is a 1097 km network of animal underpasses part of a 20 km stretch designed to allow animals to cross safely The project also includes one of Asiarsquos largest elevated wildlife corridors built at an average height of 6 to 7 metres to accommodate large mammalsResearchers divided the study area into three zones covering riverbeds hilly terrain and dense Sal forests Over a 40day period the team used 150 camera traps and 29 acoustic recorders to monitor wildlife movement and sound levelsThe study recorded more than 111000 images including over 40000 images of wildlife from 18 different species using the underpassesWide range of species recordedAmong the animals observed the golden jackal was the most frequently recorded followed by nilgai sambar and spotted deer Smaller animals such as the Indian hare were also regularly seen using the passagesImportantly the study documented 60 instances of elephants safely crossing through the underpasses proving that even large animals can adapt to such infrastructureSound levels affect animal behaviourThe research found that noise plays a key role in how animals use the underpasses While species like jackals and wild boar have adapted to traffic sounds more sensitive animals including elephants and spotted deer prefer quieter areasExperts suggest that adding sound barriers in hightraffic zones could further improve the movement of wildlifeThe study confirms that wellplanned infrastructure including underpasses and elevated corridors can protect wildlife while supporting developmentCommitment to green developmentA herd of spotted deer also known as chital seen using the underpass PicSpecial ArrangementNHAI has reaffirmed its commitment to environmentally responsible highway development Officials say future projects will continue to use datadriven and innovative methods to balance growth with ecological preservation