Wildlife crossing construction underway near Nada Sahib Gurdwara in Panchkula. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh) Wildlife crossing construction underway near Nada Sahib Gurdwara in Panchkula. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

IN AN eco-friendly move and to protect the fauna of Morni hills, which are part of Shivalik hills, the NHAI authorities have started constructing two wildlife crossings (overbridges) to provide smooth passage to wild animals on National Highway-73. The two crossings are being built near Nada Sahib gurdwara and in the middle of Bandar Ghati, an area which has two hills on both sides on NH-73. The construction cost is Rs 3.20 crore.

NHAI project director Jasbinder Singh said, “The wildlife crossings will be covered with trees, bushes and other plants making both these natural passages for the animals. The overbridges are being constructed on the recommendation of the forest and wildlife department. The two locations, where bridges are being constructed, are situated between Majri Chowk and Ramgarh.”

The area of Morni hills is full of wild animals protected under different schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act. These animals include sambar, blue bulls (nilgai), monkeys, langurs, wild boars, hyenas, barking deer (kakkad) and even leopards. The mortality rate of animals in road accidents is very high in this particular area. There have been several incidents when wild animals were crushed under the wheels of unknown vehicles.

Sources in the Forest & Wildlife Department, Haryana, said, “We have signed an MoU with NHAI. Although the construction work of four lanes on 106-km-long NH-73 is from Panchkula to Yamunanagar, the wildlife corridor on this entire stretch is situated in the radius of merely 6 km starting from Nada Sahib to Ramgarh.”

A senior wildlife department officer said, “As per the agreement, the forest department will plant trees of various varieties on the upper portion of the wildlife crossings, which are also called animal bridges. In Haryana, it is for the first time that dedicated wildlife crossings are being constructed for wild animals. In southern India and even in Uttarakhand, several crossings have been constructed for giving the passage to wild animals.”

The movement of monkeys on NH-73 on the particular stretch between Nada Sahib and Ramgarh is a routine matter. The construction of crossings will also curb the problem of entry of wild animals in human habitats in Panchkula.

In October 2016, the corpse of a leopard, which was crushed under the wheels of an unknown vehicle, was found on the highway near Nada Sahib. In April 2017, four sambars were injured after being hit by a truck.

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