Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to perform the Bhoomi Pujan and flag off the project in Kaliabor, Nagaon district, on 18 January, marking the formal launch.
- The 86-km initiative on NH-715 includes a roughly 34.5–35 km elevated section over nine animal corridors, 21 km of bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat, and about 30 km of four-laning.
- Officials and experts say the structure is intended to let animals move under the highway during monsoon floods, addressing long-standing collision risks.
- Research cited in the coverage recorded 6,036 animals killed on this stretch in 2016–17, and reports note at least 82 large mammal deaths from vehicle strikes between 2020 and 2024.
- Some activists warn that construction could disturb wildlife in a sensitive zone, while project backers point to connectivity gains, employment of roughly 35 lakh person-days, and planned safeguards.