National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approved a pilot project submitted by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur for undertaking scientific studies on designing greenbelts along national highways.
- The project will be implemented on a 5 km stretch on NH-7 between Jam and Hinganghat in Nagpur region.
- Estimated cost – 11.80 crore
- Around 20,000 trees of scientifically chosen species are proposed to be planted on both sides of this stretch in multiple rows.
Major factors to be considered during work activities:
Highway requirement and objectives
- Traffic frequency
- Available space
- Soil type
- Water availability
- Climatic conditions
- Anthropogenic interference
Plant characteristics to fit in the site requirement
- Height
- Canopy cover
- Air pollution Tolerance Index
- Sociability
About Project
The project will run for 5 years and during this period various experiments will be conducted in NEERI laboratory to record the impact of greenbelt development.
- Besides developing greenbelt, the project will also assist in developing relevant research infrastructure that may be used for similar studies in future.
About National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
NHAI is an autonomous agency of the GOI, responsible for management of a network of over 70,000 km of National Highways in India. It is a nodal agency of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- NHAI was created through the promulgation of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.