2 months ago
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Wildlife experts and elder wood officials connected Saturday (March 28, 2026) launched the archetypal circular of inspections of mitigation measures on the wood agelong of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, which passes done the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary portion successful Chittoor district. The inaugural chiefly focuses connected safeguarding elephant question and ensuring regulatory compliance. The Expressway is tentatively scheduled to unfastened to the nationalist soon.
Divisional Forest Officer (Chittoor) G. Subburaj, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer C. Venugopal, Forest Range Officer (Palamaner) R. Narayana, and noted wildlife adept Rakesh Kalava, on with elder officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), were portion of the inspection team.
The squad reviewed the mitigation measures projected by the Forest Department and approved by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), which see provisions for harmless and unobstructed question of the wildlife species, peculiarly the elephants.
DFO Subburaj said that among the cardinal features is the operation of dedicated underpasses covering a full of 3,475 metres, including a continuous agelong of astir 1,400 metres with a minimum vertical clearance of 8 metres. “These are intended to let elephants and different wildlife to determination crossed the expressway without disturbance,” helium said.
The agelong falls wrong an important ecological corridor linking the Koundinya Elephant Reserve with the Sri Venkateswara National Park (SVNP). It forms portion of a larger transboundary situation utilized by migratory elephant herds moving betwixt Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Disruption of this corridor successful the past has led to accrued human-elephant conflict, harvest damage, and accidental deaths, Mr. Subburaj said.
The inspection squad stated that well-designed mitigation structures, on with measures specified arsenic solar-powered fencing, signage, velocity regulation, and situation restoration, are indispensable to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt infrastructure improvement and conservation. “We importune connected strict adherence to biology clearances and regular monitoring,” the DFO said.
“The inaugural volition greatly trim wildlife deaths, support ecological connectivity, and service arsenic a exemplary for integrating conservation safeguards into ample infrastructure projects crossed the country,” wildlife adept Rakesh said.
