Bhubaneswar: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has planted 5.20 lakh saplings across Odisha over the past four months to expand green cover and promote biodiversity along highway corridors.
The plantation drive includes initiatives such as the ‘Arogya Van’ programme, bee corridor plantations, median greening and community plantation activities, a statement issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on Monday.
Under the Arogya Van programme, 2,500 medicinal plants have been planted at Kunduli in Koraput district along the Raipur-Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor.
The plantation features indigenous medicinal species such as Bahada, Neem, Harida and Amla, contributing to the conservation of traditional medicinal flora and the preservation of the region’s natural heritage, it said.
The initiative envisages the development of thematic medicinal tree plantations on suitable vacant land parcels along national highways, the ministry said.
Under the bee corridor initiative, NHAI has planted 39,337 saplings, including Neem, Spathodea, Arjun, Patoli, Kadamba, Tabebuia rosea and Radhachuda.
The initiative aims to support pollinators, enrich roadside vegetation and strengthen biodiversity along highway stretches, it said.
Another 87,338 plants have been planted along highway medians to improve their visual appeal and ecological character.
Flowering species such as Bougainvillea, Tecoma, Calliandra and Caesalpinia feature in these plantations, adding colour to highway landscapes while contributing to greener road infrastructure, the statement said.
The plantation drive also includes 6,000 bamboo plants and 7,097 plants under the community plantation initiative, reflecting a broader approach to ecological restoration and green infrastructure development, the ministry said.
NHAI has also extended its plantation activities to schools, colleges and other community locations, encouraging wider public participation in environmental conservation.
