Three stormwater outlets on NH-48 to be turned into animal underpasses

Due to the fragmentation of wildlife habitat, several cases of leopard and other animal deaths have been reported from this stretch. Talks to use these culverts as animal underpasses have been underway since late 2019

The district wildlife department has decided to convert three stormwater outlets on the busy national highway 48 (NH-48) into animal underpasses, officials said on Tuesday. This is the first such initiative being undertaken in the district to provide safe passage to wild animals and reduce man-animal conflict.

Animals frequently enter residential areas due to Gurugram’s close proximity to the Aravallis. (HT Archive)

Officials said that work will start after the monsoon and will be completed within two months. “There are three water outlet points on this highway, which, once cleared, can be used as wildlife underpasses. This road is a busy highway, due to which it becomes difficult for animals to cross and move freely. At present, the areas are choked with silt, boulders and rocks; these will be cleared after the monsoon,” an official of the wildlife department, who did not wish to be named, said.

The decision was taken two weeks ago, during a meeting with the principal chief conservator of forests for wildlife, following an inspection of the area. Two of the underpasses are near Panchgaon and one is near the National Security Guard outpost in Manesar. Officials said that two passages are of one metre (m) diameter, and one is a boxed passage with dimensions of 1.5mX1.5m.

Talks to use these culverts as animal underpasses have been underway since late 2019. Last year, the wildlife department had also sent a proposal to the state forest department to start developing these underpasses.

MS Malik, the chief conservator of forests for Gurugram circle, said, “We are working to clear the underpasses and have decided to set up fences on both sides of the road so that animals do not go on the highway and use the underpass for movement. This will take some time as animals are used to crossing through the highway, but gradually, as the path will be blocked, they will find their way to the underpass.”

Due to the fragmentation of wildlife habitat, several cases of leopard and other animal deaths have been reported from this stretch. In October 2019, a one-and-a-half-year-old female leopard was killed by a truck on NH-48 in Manesar.

A May 2017 report by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, titled ‘Mapping landuse/landcover patterns in Aravallis Haryana with reference to status of key wildlife species’, pointed out that the highways passing through the wildlife habitats have adversely impacted the fauna.

An excerpt from the WII report read, “Highways passing through the wildlife habitats have adversely affected the fauna in these forests. Fast-moving vehicles kill these animals when they move across these road stretches.”

Meanwhile, environmentalists who have been demanding safety measures for wildlife said they are wary of the decision. Vivek Kamboj, a city-based environmentalist, said that it is good that outlets will be converted into animal underpasses, but strict measures need to be adopted to ensure that animals do not go on to the roads.

“If fences are to be installed, they should not be made of barbed wires as habitually, the animal will try to cross the fence and cross over through the road, during which it can get injured. Chain-linked fences should be installed as it takes time for their behaviour to change. Further, as these are water outlets, officials should check this area every monsoon to ensure that they do not get choked,” said Kamboj.