NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suggested planting trees along highways soon after the machinery and manpower are mobilised to build the roads.
The road authority is desirous of planting indigenous species such as Mahua, Bael (wood apple) and gular, which it said are “slowly disappearing”, besides bamboo.
According to the agency, avenue plantation starts after completion of the projects and it would take three to four years to finish the task. Therefore, it has recommended starting plantations at the early stage of the road development projects.
“It is felt that we may advance the process of plantations with little care and meticulous planning so that by the time the construction of the highway is completed, some tree growth will get established in the avenue plantations on both sides of the national highways. it is advised that after about six months to one year from the appointed date, we may plan for taking up the plantations at least in the last row during the monsoon season,” read the guidelines for densification of plantations along national highways, released by the NHAI.
As per the standard operating procedure, three rows of plants are developed. the distance between the rows is three metres and the gap between the plants in the first row is also three metres. the distance between plants in the second and third rows is six metres and 8-12 metres respectively.
In the new guidelines, the spacing between the plants will be three metres irrespective of the row in future plantation drives. The NHAI has decided to plant bamboo along the highways wherever it is possible, particularly on the controlled access highways.