CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan on Saturday launched the Green Roadway Project aimed at raising trees in the median and on either side of the National Highways from Chennai to Kanyakumari.
Speaking after planting a sapling at Tambaram, he exhorted MPs, MLAs, elected representatives of civic bodies to plant at least one tree each along the National Highway stretches within their area, which would turn into green the NH corridors in the State, providing clean and unpolluted air. He also asked the officials to ensure proper watering and maintenance of the trees.
The entire 670-km of the National Highway from Chennai to Kanyakumari, was four-laned under various Phases of NHDP. While taking up the four-laning work, 31667 trees, which were falling within the roadway were cut. After completion of the four-laning work, new trees at the ratio of 3:1, i.e. 3 new trees for each tree cut, were planted and are being maintained.
To improve green cover and to reduce pollution, National Highways Authority of India has begun to plant more trees in the vacant land available in the Right-of-Way (ROW) of the National Highway.