NH-33 Elevated Corridor Gets Wildlife Clearance, to boost connectivity in Jamshedpur Region

Jamshedpur: In a significant development for infrastructure expansion in Jharkhand, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has recommended wildlife clearance for a key road project passing through the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary in East Singhbhum district.

The proposal involves the use of 2.1812 hectares of forest land for the upgradation of the Kalimandir to Baliguma stretch of NH-33 into a 4/6-lane elevated corridor with paved shoulders. The project falls under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP-III) and covers a critical stretch between Km 241.940 and Km 251.962.

The decision was taken during the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee held on March 21, 2026, in Dehradun under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The proposal had earlier been reviewed in January, following which a Site Inspection Committee comprising representatives from the ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority, and state forest officials conducted a detailed field assessment on February 28.

Based on the committee’s findings regarding alignment, ecological impact, and mitigation measures, the project was recommended with strict conditions to safeguard the sanctuary’s biodiversity.

Key conditions include maintaining the legal status of the forest land, restricting construction activities strictly to the approved area, and prohibiting any extraction of forest resources. The user agency has also been directed to avoid nighttime work, prevent forest fires, and ensure that no harm is caused to wildlife during project execution.

Additionally, no labor camps will be allowed within forest land, and the agency must demarcate the project area with proper GPS coordinates. Annual compliance reports will be mandatory to ensure adherence to environmental safeguards.

The project has already received recommendations from the State Board for Wildlife and the Chief Wildlife Warden, and was forwarded by the Jharkhand government before receiving final consideration at the national level.

The elevated corridor is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity in the industrial belt of Jamshedpur, while authorities emphasize that ecological balance will be closely monitored during its implementation.