NAGPUR: Even as the 79th session of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) is set to kick off from Thursday without any discussions on mitigation measures for wildlife, the new road development projects in Tadoba landscape is set to post a big threat to Maharashtra's tiger population.On November 11, Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for several road development and repair works for 576km worth 5,356 crores in Chandrapur district alone, where Tadoba is located. Of these, roughly over 100km will cut through tiger corridors making their dispersal a huge problem.As per latest WII report released in June, there is presence of at least 200 tigers in Eastern Vidarbha Landscape in Chandrapur, Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Nagpur and Yavatmal districts. In some stretches road development is already going on while on others it is proposed, all sans any mitigation steps. Wildlife experts say Tadoba landscape will be most vulnerable as 60% of the state's tiger population is present there.BD Theng, superintending engineer (national highways), PWD, admits that the package doesn't include money for wildlife mitigation measures like under or overpasses."We are not upgrading roads in forested areas or patches falling in the eco-sensitive zone of Tadoba. Therefore we have no mitigation plans as of now," said Theng.Even Chandrapur chief conservator of forest (CCF) SV Ramarao says, "His office has not received a single proposal from PWD on forest land diversion or those falling in ESZ."The most vulnerable two-lane road projects affecting wildlife and tigers include patches between Nagbhid-Bramhapuri-Armori, Malewada-Chimur, Chimur-Warora, Mul-Chandrapur, Bamni-Navegaon and Gadchiroli-Mul totalling 244km worth 1,618 crore.PWD has also received in-principle approval for two-lane roads between Chimur-Kanpa and Hinganghat-Nandori-Kora-Khadsangi-Neri-Pendhri-Sindewahi-Mul totalling 135km worth 810 crore. This too will prove disastrous as these roads are connected to Tadoba. A PWD source said Nagbhid-Mul road, via Talodi, too will be widened.The Hinganghat-Khandsangi-Mul Road, on which most of the funds will be spent, will cut through Ghodazari-Tadoba wild life corridor. This corridor recently got a second life after Ghodazari was notified as a wildlife sanctuary plans for the Hooman dam was dropped.Gadchiroli honorary wildlife warden Uday Patel says, "While developing roads it is not good to leave forest patches without any mitigation steps. PWD is creating a fait accompli situation by completing works in non-forest land. It will later blame forest department for not granting permissions for road work in ESZ and there will be pressure to grant permissions and roads be constructed through forested areas. Road works in ESZ will need National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) permission."Citing the example of Chandrapur-Mul Road expansion from two to four lanes, Patel said, "As the road falls in ESZ of Tadoba, the new proposal says that it will be a two-lane road. What is the rationale? How are these decisions taken? There are no surveys for volume of traffic and roads are being developed haphazardly. Widening of Chandrapur-Allapalli road will cut tiger corridor to Central Chanda, Kanhargaon and Chaprala sanctuary."Chandrapur wildlife warden Bandu Dhotre feels, "This is the situation not only in Chandrapur district but entire Vidarbha. Except NH7 near Pench, there is no talk of mitigation measures anywhere. The original proposals should include budget for mitigation steps. The PWD's lack of concern for wildlife will increase man-animal conflict. In Chandrapur district, 12 humans have died in wild animal attacks in last 11 months."Suresh Chopne of MoEFCC's Regional Environment Committee (REC) says, "Several delegations of NGOs have met forest officials on the issue. There is no NTCA and forest department assessment on the impacts of upgradation and expansion of so many roads. Most of the forests in the district are notified as corridors in the tiger conservation plan (TCP) of TATR and WII report on EVL."The World Bank in its report has also warned that "linear infrastructure often fragments wildlife habitats, and could be the single biggest threat to low-density and wide-ranging species such as tigers".The WWF in its report published in 2016 — 'The Road Ahead' — said, "With massive infrastructure plans threatening all tiger landscapes and risking recent gains in tiger conservation, Asian governments must adopt a sustainable approach to infrastructure planning and construction or drive tigers toward extinction."