Four underpasses will be constructed in the four-lane road that is to be built from Rishikesh to Jheelwala of Ranipokhari to provide safe movement to wildlife in the forest area without human interference, according to an official statement. Officials said that at present there is a two-lane road from Rishikesh to Jheelwala, which the National Highway Authority will make four-lane in the next two years at a cost of Rs 600 crore.
Divisional Forest Officer of Dehradun, Neeraj Sharma said that the Center has given permission for the construction of the first phase of the 20 km long four-lane road. He said that a 10-km long part of the proposed road will pass through Rishikesh and Barkot range of the Dehradun Forest Division.
According to Sharma, four underpasses will be built in the 3-kilometre stretch of this road for the safe movement of elephants and other wild animals without human interference.
He said that for the construction of underpasses, the Dehradun Forest Division has done a scientific study and identified the traditional forest routes frequently used by wild elephants.
According to Sharma, the construction of underpasses will greatly reduce human-wildlife conflict in these forest areas.
A decade ago, at this very place, a male elephant had trampled and killed about 18 people in a period of one and a half years.
Sharma said that after the construction of underpasses on the proposed road, the movement of both elephants and other wild animals and humans will become safe.
He said that the remaining 10-kilometre stretch of the road would pass through private properties.
According to Sharma, the Forest Department will transfer 40 hectares of non-forest area to the Mussoorie Forest Division, in which afforestation and maintenance will be done for ten years, which will ultimately help in increasing the forest cover.
Rajesh Sharma, Head and Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) of Uttarakhand said that wherever elevated roads are built, underpasses are constructed there.
He said that when underpasses are built in populated areas, the public uses them and when they are built in forest areas, they are used by wild animals.
For this four-lane road project from Rishikesh to Jheelwala, about three thousand trees will be cut in the Rishikesh and Barkot range of Dehradun Forest Division.