NEW DELHI: Will the Centre’s ambitious Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway impact dolphins, soft-shelled turtles, otters and gharials in the Beas and Kali Bein Conservation Reserves in Punjab? A panel of the Union environment ministry has sought comments from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) on the proposal and the mitigation measures of the project.
The project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was considered by the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL). The proposal is for using 20.4 hectares of land for the construction of five bridges by the NHAI as part of the expressway. It is expected to reduce the distance between Katra and Delhi by nearly 150 km.
