‘Kaziranga is Assam’s soul’: PM Modi lays foundation for elevated corridor

Kaliabor, Jan 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, laid the foundation stone for the Kaziranga elevated wildlife corridor and virtually launched two Amrit Bharat Express trains, asserting that infrastructure-led development and conservation can move forward together to transform Assam and the Northeast.

Addressing a public gathering at Kaliabor, the Prime Minister said the Rs 6,957-crore elevated corridor near Kaziranga National Park would ensure uninterrupted wildlife movement while strengthening road connectivity between Upper Assam and the rest of the region.

Modi described Kaziranga as not merely a national park but “Assam’s soul” and a “priceless part of India’s biodiversity”, stressing that protecting wildlife is a responsibility owed to future generations.

“The elevated corridor, part of a nearly 90-km highway stretch from Kaliabor to Numaligarh, has been designed to allow vehicles to pass overhead while animals such as rhinos, elephants and deer move safely underneath through dedicated wildlife corridors,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that the project would enhance connectivity to Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, reduce travel time between Jorhat, Golaghat and Guwahati, and create new economic opportunities by boosting tourism.

The Prime Minister noted that Assam recorded zero rhino poaching cases in 2025, attributing the achievement to strengthened forest protection measures, modern surveillance systems and coordinated efforts by the forest department and local communities.

Highlighting the expansion of rail infrastructure, Modi said improved connectivity has brought the Northeast “closer to Delhi and to the nation’s heart”, adding that development in the region strengthens both economic growth and public confidence.

He also referred to recent rail projects, including the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train connecting Guwahati and Kolkata on Saturday and the virtual launch of two Amrit Bharat Express services on Sunday.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the elevated corridor marked a historic moment for the state, noting that such a large-scale conservation-driven infrastructure project for Kaziranga was once unimaginable.

“We never imagined that to preserve Kaziranga’s wildlife, a Prime Minister would approve a nearly 90-km elevated corridor and allocate Rs 7,000 crore. Today, PM Modi has gifted Assam a project that balances development and conservation,” Sarma said.

He added that the corridor would significantly cut travel time between Upper Assam districts and Guwahati while ensuring long-term protection for wildlife.

The event also witnessed the virtual launch of two Amrit Bharat Express trains — one operating between Dibrugarh and Gomti Nagar (Lucknow), and the other between Kamakhya and Rohtak; further expanding Assam’s rail connectivity.