Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India — Ministry of Road Transport and Highways PIB Delhi Read the original release on pib.gov.in
- Over Rs 19,700 crore invested in wildlife protection infrastructure and environmental protection measures in the last five years
- More than 2,150 wildlife protection structures have been constructed/or proposed to be constructed on National Highways across the country
Outlining initiatives to incorporate wildlife conservation in National Highway planning, design and implementation, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) released a document on ‘Wildlife Protection Measures and Structures’ on the occasion of ‘National Wildlife Week’ being observed from 2 to 8 October 2026. This document was released by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari during the Chintan Shivir recently held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. This document reflects NHAI's vision to balance the needs of connectivity and mobility with environmental sustainability and wildlife conservation in the development of National Highway infrastructure.
Over the last five years, approximately Rs 19,700 crore has been invested in wildlife protection infrastructure and environmental protection measures in National Highway projects. These interventions aim to address key challenges associated with the development of National Highway infrastructure—such as habitat fragmentation, road traffic obstructions and wildlife-vehicle collisions—while maintaining safe traffic flow.
NHAI's protection plans are based on the ecological sensitivity of the project corridors, wildlife movement patterns and technical feasibility of the infrastructure design. This enables wildlife protection measures to be planned according to the specific ecological and engineering needs of each highway corridor.
2,150 More wildlife protection structures
This document outlines a systematic framework for wildlife protection planning, including structural measures such as underpasses, overpasses, culverts and canopy crossings as well as non-structural interventions such as signboards, fencing and speed controls. More than 2,150 wildlife protection structures have been constructed/or proposed to be constructed along National Highways across the country. These include animal underpasses (AUPs), bridge-integrated crossings (such as main bridges-cum-AUPs and minor bridges-cum-AUPs), culverts adapted for animal movement, canopy crossings and other special structures.
Under structural safety measures, around Rs 4,600 crore has been invested in underpasses for animals, Rs 650 crore in overpasses, Rs 8,300 crore in viaducts (high bridges), Rs 2,800 crore in tunnels, Rs 2,500 crore in major bridges and Rs 500 crore in minor bridges. These structures facilitate the safe movement of wildlife along highway corridors and help maintain ecological connectivity between natural habitats.
Along with these structural measures, NHAI has also included a number of non-structural interventions aimed at reducing disturbance to wildlife and improving the conditions of their natural habitat. These include noise barriers, reptile crossings, rain water harvesting and other wildlife management measures.
Integrated approach to wildlife conservation
Guide fencing and noise barriers have been installed on more than 300 km of National Highway routes to guide wildlife towards fixed crossing structures and reduce the possibility of collision between animals and vehicles.
NHAI has also put in place surveillance systems like camera trapping to help trace the movement patterns of wildlife and periodically evaluate prevention measures. Vulnerable areas where vehicles may collide with wildlife have been identified and appropriate measures, including speed control boards and signboards, are in place to minimize the risk to wildlife and highway users.
Balancing infrastructure development with ecological conservation
The document also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the conservation community and agencies involved in National Highway infrastructure development.
The approach adopted by NHAI is aimed at ensuring that safety measures are incorporated at various stages of National Highway development, thereby expanding the infrastructure keeping in mind biodiversity conservation and statutory environmental compliance requirements. Detailed document is available on NHAI website.
Covering recent initiatives and project implementations, this document reflects NHAI's commitment to adopt various environment protection measures for the development of National Highway infrastructure. It will act as a reference framework detailing the safety measures and structures being adopted in National Highway projects.
This is the official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and is published without changes.
