Soon after the Prime Minister inaugurated the Rs 7,000-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project on 18 January 2026, environmental concerns were raised by environmentalists and a local organisation called Ellora Vigyan Mancha (EVM). The organisation urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a comprehensive scientific assessment of the project’s ecological impact before construction begins.
Envisioned as a development initiative aligned with conservation objectives, the project involves a 35-kilometre elevated corridor passing through Kaziranga National Park, along with the four-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh stretch of National Highway-715, at an estimated cost of Rs 6,957 crore. Planned in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines and recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India, the corridor aims to ensure safe wildlife movement, reduce road accidents and minimise human–animal conflict in one of India’s most ecologically fragile regions.
Wild animals frequently cross National Highway 715 to reach the Karbi Anglong hills, but constant high-speed traffic has turned the stretch into a major threat, the National Board for Wildlife has noted. In 2022 a Gauhati University study recorded 6,036 animal deaths along the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong corridor in 2016–17, nearly 60 percent during floods, while the National Tiger Conservation Authority reported 1,176 wildlife fatalities in 2019, including 49 large mammals.
Further traversing the districts of Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat, the project is expected to significantly improve connectivity across Upper Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that it will cut travel time between Guwahati and Upper Assam, strengthen regional integration, and create new opportunities in eco-tourism, cultural tourism and local employment. The project is slated for completion within 36 months.
The organisation informed the MoEFCC that while the project aims to reduce wildlife deaths from road accidents, moving ahead without a detailed scientific study could pose new environmental risks. It also stressed that Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where major construction projects require a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment under National Board for Wildlife rules. EVM said the project was approved without a proper Environmental Impact Assessment and demanded that one be carried out before construction begins.
EVM also drew attention to the fact that animal populations in Kaziranga depend on a network of at least nine identified corridors to move between the park’s southern stretches and the Karbi Anglong Hills, both during normal periods and in times of flooding. The organisation warned that an extended construction phase expected to last four to five years could disrupt these corridors, severely affecting natural movement patterns. The organisation stated, “Even if construction is halted during the monsoon, obstacles such as trenches, pits and construction structures could pose a serious risk of injury or death to wild animals.”
Earlier, Pranab Doley, convenor of the Greater Kaziranga Human and Land Rights Protection Committee, opposes the project told Down to Earth that big infrastructure projects and tourism together will harm both biodiversity and local communities.
Conservationists warned that obstructing wildlife corridors could drive animals into nearby human settlements, increasing human–wildlife conflict. It also raised concerns that construction in the Karbi Anglong Hills—Kaziranga’s natural water and sediment source—could disrupt ecological processes, damage wetlands and grasslands, and threaten food availability for key herbivore species such as elephants, rhinos, deer and buffaloes.
They urged that genuine public consultations be held before construction starts and recommended forming an independent expert committee to carry out a transparent and comprehensive assessment of the proposed corridor.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
6957
Type of investment:
Investment Expected
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Other, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Ellora Vigyan Mancha (EVM)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Emilo is pursuing her PhD in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. Her primary research areas include human and land rights and gender issues.
