PM inaugurates Rs 12,000 crore corridor with Asia’s longest wildlife stretch
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor in Dehradun, capping a day marked by roadshows, a wildlife corridor review and a temple visit in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The 213-km-long, access-controlled corridor, built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore, is expected to significantly cut travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from more than six hours to around 2.5 hours, boosting connectivity across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
At the public function in Dehradun, the Prime Minister was felicitated by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister held roadshows in Dehradun and Saharanpur, drawing large crowds with supporters lining the streets and waving Bharatiya Janata Party flags.
He also reviewed the 12-km-long Wildlife Corridor in Saharanpur, described as one of the longest in Asia, constructed on an elevated stretch of the expressway.
He later performed Darshan and Pooja at the Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun, where children sang an aarti and the Prime Minister was seen clapping along.
Officials say the corridor has been designed keeping in mind the ecological sensitivity and biodiversity of the region, with specific features aimed at reducing man-animal conflict and ensuring safe wildlife movement.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Prime Minister, today, under your leadership and guidance, Uttarakhand is working in every field in accordance with the concept of both development and heritage to fulfill its unwavering resolve to become the best state in the country. I assure you that under your leadership, we will certainly succeed in achieving this goal. Also, like the 2022 assembly elections, in the 2027 elections too, we will succeed in forming the government in the brave land of Uttarakhand.”
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “We have great reverence for Mansarovar. Today, we have to go there via Nepal and China, and under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we have undertaken a challenging task. A road is being built from Tanakpur to Lipulekh via Pithoragarh at a cost of Rs 5200 crore.”
He added that of the 370 kilometres, around 200 kilometres have been completed. “The remaining 129 kilometres face significant obstacles. Despite this, we will strive to complete it within the next year.”
The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor is expected to improve travel time, strengthen connectivity between key tourism and economic centres, and open up new opportunities for trade and development in the region.
Agencies