Highway through 'Mowgli Land' gets Rs 186 cr for wildlife care

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approved Rs 186 crore for wildlife mitigation measures to take care of any possible adverse impact on tiger population in Pench-Kanha Tiger Corridor.
"For the road project of widening of the Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra border - Mansar section of the existing NH-7 which cuts across tiger corridor in Maharashtra, NHAI has approved Rs 186 crore for wildlife mitigation measures to take care of any possible adverse impact on tiger population in Pench-Kanha Tiger Corridor," Road Transport and Highways Ministry today said.
This is only a part of the amount to be spent for the purpose in the Pench-Kanha Tiger Corridor, also known as 'Mowgli Land', the setting of the famous 'Jungle Book' by Rudyard Kipling.

The total length of the project from Nagpur to Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra border is 117 Km.
Of this, 4 laning of about 79 km, which includes the Nagpur Bypass, Kamptee-Kanhan Bypass and Kanhan to Mansar of existing NH-7, was completed in July 2012.
"However, the work of 4 laning from Mansar to MH/MP border could not be taken up for want of tree felling permission and finalisation of mitigation measures to be adopted for wildlife habitat in and around the stretch. With all the statutory clearances in place, NHAI has resumed civil works on this stretch," the statement said.
As per the recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, also endorsed by the High Court at Nagpur, NHAI is providing elaborate mitigation measures on the stretch, it said.

The measures include making three elevated sections so that animals can move across the highway alignment following their natural paths. Besides, six other wildlife crossings of different dimensions are also being provided.