Nepal Calls You

Government of Nepal to come up with ‘ Wildlife Friendly’ Road SystemApr 25, 2019

It has been reported that about 40 percent of total wildlife death in Nepal is attributed to road accidents, especially along the East-West Highway. Addressing this death figure, finally, Government of Nepal has planned to design ‘Wildlife Friendly' road networks. 

All the roads networks including major national highways traversing through forest areas, wetlands, conservation areas and protected parks of the country will have to maintain a set of standards in order to assure the safety of wildlife, according to a new model developed for infrastructure projects.

The model has been developed by the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation, the main government organ that manages protected areas and protects wildlife in the parks with other stakeholders. 

According to the department, this model has been brought to effect in coordination among infrastructures related concerns like Department of Roads, Irrigation, Railways, Nepal Electricity Authority and other non-governmental stakeholders,  to ensure reliable and easier movement of wildlife along all the roads across the forest, meadows and protected areas. 

In the past, even large animals such as tigers, leopards have been met with deadly accidents in roads along the national highway’s stretch which passes through Banke and Bardiya National Park. 

“Having wildlife friendly infrastructures is also safer for public and properties that get damaged during such accidents involving wildlife,” said Man Bahadur Khadka, director general of the department.

The substantial roadkill of wildlife along the highways and roadsides that passes through protected areas of the southern plains has long been a real challenge for Nepal to assure safety and secure environment to country’s fauna. 

 Following practices of other developed countries and in consultation with local wildlife experts and engineers, the model has been modeled and handed over to the Department of Roads.

Nepal Calls You is more happy to cover and share such type of progressive news in the field of flora and fauna. As the wildlife are natural assets, jewels of jungles and most importantly mandatory creatures of a balanced ecosystem, we must preserve them and maintain a significant number of each.  We hope with the implementation of this model, frequent roadkill of wildlife won’t be a part of news anymore. :)