Assam: Electrified railway track to pose threat to wildlife in Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary

The upcoming operation of a 1.65-kilometer electrified railway track cutting through the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam's Jorhat district has raised alarms among environmentalists over the safety of arboreal wildlife. The high-voltage line, set to carry 25 kilovolts (kV) — nearly 100 times the power of a standard household supply — poses potential electrocution risks to the sanctuary's diverse fauna.

Concerns were amplified recently when a video surfaced, showing Capped langurs maneuvering dangerously close to overhead electric cables designed to power locomotives. This footage underscores the imminent threat posed to the sanctuary's inhabitants, which include more than 100 hoolock gibbons—India's only ape species—alongside Assamese macaques, Bengal slow lorises, and various other primates.

Wildlife experts warn that without immediate safety measures, the electrified overhead contact line (OCL) could become a lethal barrier for the sanctuary's tree-dwelling species once it is operational. Conservationists urge that rerouting the track outside the sanctuary is vital to safeguard its wildlife and maintain its ecological significance.

The National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) recently reviewed the situation during its 80th Standing Committee meeting, held on October 15, 2024. The board recommended the use of 9 hectares of land (1.6 hectares of forest land from the sanctuary and 7.4 hectares of non-forest land from its Eco-Sensitive Zone) for the 25 kV electrification of the 9-kilometer Lumding-Dibrugarh railway section by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), managed by IRCON International Limited.

The recommendation was subject to stringent conditions, including:
1. Imposition of speed limits for trains within the sanctuary.
2. Implementation of mitigation measures outlined by the Wildlife Institute of India during project execution.
3. Ensuring electric wires remain non-energized until the completion of animal-safe passage systems.
4. A ban on construction activities between sunset and sunrise.
5. Establishment of a 2% project cost contribution as a Corpus Fund for human-elephant/wildlife conflict mitigation and conservation.
6. Submission of annual compliance reports by the user agency to the State Chief Wildlife Warden.

Failure to adhere to these stipulations could endanger the sanctuary’s biodiversity, turning it from a natural haven into a mechanized hazard, threatening the survival of its unique species.