NHAI, Punjab forest dept launch drive to make highways green

The Punjab Forest Department and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have jointly launched a mega plantation drive to turn national highways across Punjab green. The collaboration began between two agencies by the first plantation project on Amritsar-Pathankot Section NH-54 (2020-21), initiated by the Forest Department at the direction of NHAI, which gave good results. The total cost for this project is Rs 25.42 crore, from which Rs 20.37 crore would be used throughout the ongoing financial year for different works, such as aftercare, plantation, and security via wire and tree guards. The monitoring of the plantation would be jointly done by QR codes (wherever possible) would be shared for public disclosure and IT-enabled apps. The Forest Department would do thematic planting to provide an aesthetic look by Avenue lines having beautiful small to medium height firm rooted trees and rows of native species, including fruit, medicinal, and ecological importance. V B Kumar, PCCF (Hoff), told the media that they would take up the plantation on five national highways in Punjab. The plan is to plant 1,36,842 saplings throughout the current plantation season during the FY2 and aftercare by several maintenance operations. Image Source Also read: India's first green and safe highway to be developed in Rajasthan Also read: Govt investing Rs 7 lakh cr to develop green highways: Nitin Gadkari