Green Highways Mission project: National Highway across Punjab to be turned green
Punjab Green Highways Mission project: In an order to green National Highways across the state, the Punjab Forest Department in collaboration with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a joint massive plantation drive.
It has been formally initiated by signing an MoU between the Punjab Forest Department and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday. The aim is to green these barren strips along National Highways in Punjab under the Green Highways Mission project.
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V.B. Kumar, PCCF (HoFF) informed that this project is aimed to bring lands acquired by NHAI under plantation to boost up the productivity of this land.
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The collaboration started with the first plantation project (2020-21) on NH 54 (Amritsar-Pathankot Section). It was undertaken by the Forest Department at the behest of NHAI.
Kumar said that they would be taking up plantation on five National Highways across the state. A total of 1,36,842 saplings are to be planted during the current plantation season during the financial year 2021-22.
The project is of around 25.42 crores out of which 20.37 crores will be utilized for doing various earthworks, Plantation, aftercare, and its protection through barbed wire and tree guards.
The plantation drive will be jointly monitored via IT-enabled apps. Likewise, QR codes will be shared for public disclosure and dissemination.
-PTC News
