The Biggest and oldest wildlife corridor in Uttarakhand on the Dehradun-Haridwar-Rishikesh highway, The Chila-Motichoor Corridor (corridor), has started buzzing again after nearly two decades. The tiger was caught in the camera trap while passing through this corridor under the flyover on the highway. The Forest Department considers it very important from the point of view of wildlife conservation.
Due to the Dehradun-Haridwar-Rishikesh highway and railway track, Rajaji Tiger Reserve Park was divided into two parts, eastern and western. As a result, the movement of wildlife from one part of the park to another was stopped. While there were 34 tigers in the eastern part of the park, only two tigresses were left alone in the western region.
Now the flyovers built on the highway have made the journey of humans comfortable as well as revived the Chilla-Motichur corridor. With the revival of this corridor, the entire wildlife will be able to move freely throughout the park. The Rajaji Tiger Reserve is famous for wildlife and is the only tiger reserve in the country, surrounded by populations from all sides.
Efforts to activate this corridor have been going on for two decades.
Efforts to activate the Chilla-Motichur corridor have been going on for more than two decades. For this, the Khand village of Rishikesh was also displaced. After this, three-ply overs were made on the highway in September 2021. Its results are now starting to show.
More than one lakh vehicles used to pass in a day
According to an estimate by NHAI for the year 2019, before the construction of the flyover, 1.34 lakh vehicles used to pass through this part of the corridor on the Dehradun-Haridwar highway in a day. In such a situation, this corridor was banned undeclared for wildlife.
Wildlife used to roam from this corridor to Nepal
Through the Chila-Motichoor corridor, long-distance wildlife like elephants, guldars, and tigers used to move from Haridwar to Corbett through the Shivalik forest. Sometimes wildlife used to reach Nepal. But this movement was interrupted due to the highway. However, in January this year, the camera trap also captured photographs of elephants passing through this corridor.
This is very special news not only for Uttarakhand but for wildlife lovers across the country. The Forest Department is extremely happy with this achievement. Now wildlife will be able to move easily from one part of the park to another. But at present there are some installations of the army adjoining Khand village in a part of this corridor, which efforts are being made in the direction of displacing them.
Samir Sinha, Chief Wildlife Warden, Forest Department, Uttarakhand