New Delhi: More than 3.61 crore saplings have been planted along approximately 1.32 lakh kilometres of National Highways across India over the past five years under the Green Highways Policy, as the government continues to integrate environmental sustainability into highway development, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The plantation drive has been carried out along available roadside and median land on National Highway stretches either as part of highway construction projects or as standalone initiatives, in accordance with the Indian Roads Congress guidelines. The cost of plantation and environmental mitigation measures is generally included in the overall cost of highway projects, while standalone plantation works are funded through allocations for National Highway development and maintenance.
The government has also introduced a series of policy measures to promote sustainable highway construction by encouraging the use of recycled materials, waste products and environment-friendly technologies wherever technically feasible. These include the use of bamboo crash barriers, fly ash and pond ash in embankments, reclaimed asphalt pavement, recycled construction and demolition waste, plastic waste in bituminous mixes, natural geo-textiles, slag, bio-bitumen, crumb rubber and treated sewage water in road construction.
According to the Ministry, highway projects are also incorporating tree plantation, compensatory afforestation and tree transplantation measures to offset environmental impacts. Miyawaki plantations and drone-based monitoring have additionally been introduced to increase green cover and improve monitoring of plantation activities along National Highways.
The Ministry said the adoption of green construction practices, energy-efficient technologies, digital monitoring systems and improved environmental management has helped reduce emissions, conserve natural resources and minimise the environmental footprint of highway construction. The information was provided by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
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