Punjab okays its first wildlife corridor in Rs 2,000-cr Zirakpur bypass plan

LoIn a first-of-its-kind project, Punjab will have a wildlife corridor to preserve a protected forest that was obstructing the proposed six-lane Zirakpur bypass road recently approved by the Union Cabinet.

A 3-km-long elevated road will now be constructed over the protected forest to provide safe passage to leopards, sambars and other wildlife frequenting the area near the Ghaggar. The Forest Department manages nearly 400 acres of protected forest in Peer Muchalla (Zirakpur), adjacent to the river.

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The project had been hanging fire for over two years as the forest land posed a hurdle. The matter was to be processed under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA). Following consultations with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the elevated road was proposed. Constructing the six-lane road through the forest would have affected a 50-acre patch, but with the Forest Department approving the elevated alternative, wildlife movement will remain undisturbed while ensuring smooth traffic flow.

Officials involved in the project said the 19.2-km Zirakpur bypass project in Punjab and Haryana would be built at a cost of Rs 1,878.31 crore, with an additional Rs 200 crore estimated for the elevated stretch. Last month, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the six-lane road under the hybrid annuity mode. The proposed bypass will alleviate congestion in the heavily urbanised areas of Zirakpur and Panchkula.

Forest officials explained that wildlife corridors connect fragmented habitats, enabling animals to migrate, forage and reproduce freely. These corridors can include forested strips, riverbanks, underpasses and overpasses. By maintaining ecological connectivity, they support biodiversity and long-term ecosystem balance.

This will be Punjab’s first urban wildlife corridor, an official noted, adding that once the elevated road was completed, additional afforestation and conservation measures would be carried out around the protected forest.