Plantation drive across 1,513 kms of National Highways

 Tree plantation will be undertaken along 1,513 km of National Highways under the Green Highways Scheme by the National Highway Authority of India, parliament was told on Monday.

The plantation drive includes 390 km of National Highways in Andhra Pradesh, 133 km in Assam, 418 km in Haryana and 100 km in Jammu & Kashmir, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh Lal Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Plantation will also be taken up in Jharkhand (50 km), Madhya Pradesh (82 km), Maharashtra (87 km), Odisha (77 km), Rajasthan (26 km) and Telangana (150 km), he added.

"Under the Green Highways Scheme, tree plantations along National Highways are part of all highway development projects. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is actively promoting greening of highway corridors with the participation of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs and government institutions/departments," he said. - IANS