Madhya Pradesh is developing a tiger tourism corridor linking Jabalpur with three tiger reserves

Madhya Pradesh is developing a phased tiger tourism corridor linking Jabalpur with Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves. Announced on 3 November 2026, the project aims to improve access while prioritising wildlife safety. The government aims to develop it before Simhastha 2028.

Routes, cost and wildlife safeguards

The planned routes would reduce the road distance from Jabalpur to Bandhavgarh from 180 km to 155 km, to Pench from 123 km to 104 km, and to Kanha from 148 km to 118 km. The first phase is focused on these three reserves. Later phases are expected to add other tiger reserves, including Panna and parts of the Naoradehi landscape.

The overall circuit is described as 625 km. The project estimate is given as both ₹5,500 crore and ₹5,500–6,000 crore. The National Highways Authority of India and Madhya Pradesh’s Public Works Department are preparing the detailed project report and surveys. A ₹758-crore budget has been approved to widen a 22-km section of National Highway 46 between Itarsi and Betul to four lanes.

Planned wildlife measures include overpasses, underpasses, eco-friendly flyovers, slow-traffic zones and an artificial-intelligence-based wildlife traffic system. The government has stated that wildlife protection and easier travel are priorities.

Important Facts for Exams

• Tiger-reserve zoning: Indian tiger reserves comprise core (critical tiger habitat) and buffer areas; buffers support connectivity and provide space for compatible human use around the protected core.
• Tiger-conservation authority: The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body established by the 2006 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, not a state forest agency.
• Wildlife-crossing design: Many road-wildlife mitigation designs pair wildlife passages with guide fencing, directing animals toward crossings and reducing attempts to cross carriageways elsewhere.
• NHAI institutional status: The National Highways Authority of India is a statutory authority established under the 1988 Act and operates under the Union road ministry.