Green Highways
For Highway
projects to be environmentally sustainable, it is necessary that the natural
resources lost in the process of Highway construction are restored in one way or
the other. This requires that ecological needs are taken into consideration from
the stage of project planning and designing to its execution. The Highways
developed as green corridors not only sustain biodiversity and regenerate
natural habitat but also benefit all stakeholders, from road users to local
communities and spur eco-friendly economic growth and development.
The NDA
Government has given a deep thought to this aspect and the Ministry of Road
Transport & Highways has framed Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation,
Beautification & Maintenance) Policy-2015. The vision is to develop eco-friendly
National
Highways
with participation
of the community, farmers, NGOs, private sector, institutions, government agencies and the Forest Department.
India has a
total 46.99 lakh kms of road length and out of which over 96214 kms are National
Highways, accounting 2% of total road length. The Highways carry about 40% of
the traffic load. The Ministry has decided to develop all of existing National
Highways and 40,000 kms of additional roads in the next few years as Green
Highways.
The objective
is to reduce
the
impacts
of air
pollution
and dust
as trees
and
shrubs along the Highways act as natural
sink
for air
pollutants and arrest
soil erosion
at the
embankment
slopes. Plants along highway median strips
and along the edges reduce the glare
of oncoming vehicles which sometimes become cause of
accidents. The community involvement in tree plantation directly benefits
local
people
by generating employment. The Panchayats, NGOs and other Self Help Groups (SHGs)
will be involved in the process of planting and maintenance. The plant species
selected will be region specific depending on local conditions such as rainfall,
climate type of soil etc. For example at some places soil conditions may suit
for plantation of Jamun or mango trees while at other places plants and grasses
can be grown to derive biomass. Wherever possible, transplantation of existing
trees will be given preference while widening the roads.
The
policy aims at changing the whole process for the avenue plantation and
landscape improvement. Earlier, the land needed for these activities was not
considered during the Detailed Project report (DPR) stage. Now the new policy
has recommended that the requirement of land for tree plantation should be
included in the Land Acquisition Plans prepared by the DPR consultants. This
move will help in pre-planning of the plantation activities and the space
required for the same, so that there is a systematic plan before the
construction of National Highways. One percent of the civil cost of the road
projects will be for developing green corridors.
In
the new policy, the provisions about the responsibilities attached have also
been clearly defined. Now it will be the responsibility of the planting agency
to ensure that the condition of the site is good enough for the successful
establishment of grasses. The planting agency is required to supervise all field
operations like preparation of surface, sowing of seeds or saplings and quality
of planting material used.
The
monitoring of the plantation status has been included as an integral part of the
policy. The Monitoring
Agency
will
monitor
progress
of planting
and status of plantations
on continuous
basis. This
agency
shall carry out the
site visit
for
field
verification in respect
of survival,
growth
and size
of plantation
and maintenance
of the same. The monitoring Agency will conduct
performance audit of executing agencies for various projects on an Annual
basis and award of new contracts to the agencies will be decided based on
their past performance.
The
plantations and its maintenance may be taken up through outsourcing
following bidding process as per standard protocol of procurement of
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and its agencies for the
stretch/ROW not declared as protected forest under Forest Conservation (Act)
1980. The MoRTH/NHAI will appoint the authorised agency for empanelment of
Plantation Agencies. Only empaneled agencies will be allowed to bid for planting
work on the National Highways.
The new
policy has given a new insight to the process of development. It gives answer to
the question whether the development process is putting our environment and
natural resources into danger. Such initiatives taken by the Government
indicate that the process of development is not exclusive of environment
protection. The development can be sustainable when systematic and conscious
decisions are taken.
The policy
when implemented in letter and spirit will result into India being a “Nation
with Natural Highways”. It will address the issues that lie in the “road of
development” and pave “a journey towards sustainable development”.
It is the
onus of the communities involved in the path of development that they also
participate in the process of protection of nature. The Government can frame
policies, provide standards, but success of projects depends on strong
monitoring which is not possible without active community participation and
community ownership.
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