New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has released a document detailing wildlife protection measures incorporated into national highway projects, highlighting investments of around ₹19,700 crore in wildlife mitigation infrastructure and environmental safeguards over the past five years.
The document, titled Wildlife Mitigation Measures & Structures, was released by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during a Chintan Shivir held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. Its release coincided with National Wildlife Week, observed from October 2 to 8, 2026.
The initiative focuses on reducing the ecological impact of highway development while maintaining road connectivity and traffic movement. According to the document, more than 2,150 wildlife mitigation structures have been constructed or proposed along national highways across the country.
Over 2,150 Structures to Support Wildlife Movement
The document outlines structural interventions designed to help animals cross highways safely and maintain connectivity between habitats.
The measures include:
- Animal underpasses and overpasses: Dedicated crossings to facilitate wildlife movement across highway corridors.
- Viaducts and tunnels: Infrastructure designed to accommodate highway development while addressing ecological and geographical constraints.
- Bridges and adapted culverts: Structures that can support the movement of animals beneath or across road corridors.
- Canopy crossings: Specialised structures that help arboreal animals move between habitat areas.
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These measures are intended to address challenges such as habitat fragmentation, barriers to animal movement and wildlife–vehicle collisions.
₹19,700 Crore Invested in Wildlife Mitigation
NHAI’s document provides a breakdown of investments in different types of infrastructure associated with wildlife mitigation and environmental protection.
The reported investments over the past five years include:
- ₹4,600 crore in animal underpasses.
- ₹650 crore in animal overpasses.
- ₹8,300 crore in viaducts.
- ₹2,800 crore in tunnels.
- ₹2,500 crore in major bridges.
- ₹500 crore in minor bridges.
These investments form part of the broader expenditure of approximately ₹19,700 crore on wildlife mitigation infrastructure and related environmental safeguards across national highway projects.
Fencing, Monitoring and Other Conservation Measures
Alongside structural interventions, NHAI has introduced non-structural measures to guide wildlife towards designated crossing points and reduce the risk of collisions.
According to the document, guide fencing and noise barriers have been installed along more than 300 kilometres of national highway alignments.
Other measures include:
- Wildlife monitoring: Camera trapping is used to assess animal movement and help evaluate mitigation measures.
- Collision hotspot identification: Areas where wildlife–vehicle collisions pose a risk are identified for targeted interventions.
- Speed regulation and signage: Appropriate boards and signs are provided to alert motorists and reduce risks to animals and road users.
- Habitat-sensitive interventions: Measures such as reptile crossings and rainwater harvesting are incorporated where appropriate.
Integrating Conservation into Highway Planning
The document emphasises that wildlife mitigation measures should be planned according to the ecological sensitivity of individual highway corridors, wildlife movement patterns and engineering feasibility.
NHAI’s approach seeks to integrate environmental considerations into different stages of highway development, from planning and design to implementation. It also highlights the importance of coordination between infrastructure agencies and the conservation community.
The document serves as a reference on the structural and non-structural measures being adopted across national highway projects to balance infrastructure development with biodiversity conservation and environmental compliance.
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