17-Jul-2017: Eco-bridges for the movement of tigers

Telangana State is planning to construct eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

The Telangana Irrigation Department has given its consent for the construction of the eco-bridges. Recommendations on the size and locations of the bridges are awaited from the National Board of Wildlife.

The ‘eco-bridges’ will be constructed at key spots along the 72 km-long, and at some places over a kilometre wide. The plan involves laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.

The concept emerged after visits by experts from the Wildlife Board of India and the Wildlife Institute of India. They were concerned about the large-scale destruction of pristine forest along the corridor, which would result in cutting off tiger movement between TATR and Bejjur.