Green highways mission: Over 5,000 kms of avenue plantation work done so far

More than 5,000 kms of avenue plantation works worth Rs 650 crore have been executed so far under the National Green Highways Mission NGHM, as per an official document.

More than 5,000 kms of avenue plantation works worth Rs 650 crore have been executed so far under the National Green Highways Mission (NGHM), as per an official document. According to the Road Transport and Highways Ministry document, national highway stretches identified for plantations include NH-707 (103.55-km Poanta Sahib-Gumma Fediz stretch in Himachal Pradesh), NH-158 (116.75-km Ras-Beawar-Mandal stretch in Rajasthan) and NH-70 (109.41-km Hamirpur-Mandi stretch of Himachal Pradesh), among others ''The government plans to carry out plantations along the NHs with participation of the local communities, farmers, NGOs, private sector, government agencies and Forest Departments (state level). ''So far, more than 5,000 km of avenue plantation works worth INR 650 Crore (about USD 90 million) have been executed,'' it said. Green corridors, relevant from both climate mitigation and adaptation perspective, are being seen as a solution to fulfil India's commitment for voluntary reduction of carbon emissions, it added. The ministry had launched the National Green Highways Mission following the promulgation of a 'Green Highways Policy' in September 2015. This was done considering the importance of road network in economic growth, employment generation and poverty reduction on one hand and the need to reduce adverse effects of vehicular pollution, forest diversion and felling of trees. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had on August 21, 2020 launched a mobile app 'Harit Path' to monitor the plantation along the national highways.

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