“Uttar Pradesh’s Green Highways initiative is turning roads into eco-friendly corridors by planting millions of native trees. Aimed at reducing pollution, providing shade, and boosting biodiversity, the project engages local communities and employs advanced monitoring. Recent data shows significant progress, with thousands of kilometers greened, though challenges like sapling survival persist.”
Uttar Pradesh Leads Green Highways with Ambitious Tree-Planting Drive
Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a frontrunner in India’s Green Highways initiative, a transformative project launched under the Green Highways Policy, 2015, by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The state is actively converting its national highways into lush, eco-friendly corridors by planting millions of native trees along roadsides, aiming to combat air pollution, reduce noise, and enhance biodiversity. As of December 2024, Uttar Pradesh has planted over 50 lakh trees across 5,000 kilometers of highways, contributing significantly to India’s goal of reducing carbon emissions by 35% as pledged at CoP 21 in 2015.
The initiative, part of the National Green Highways Mission, focuses on planting native species suited to local climates and soil conditions, such as neem, banyan, and peepal, to ensure long-term survival. In Uttar Pradesh, the Forest Department, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and local communities collaborate to execute the project. The state has allocated 1% of highway project costs—approximately ₹500 crore annually—for plantation and maintenance, creating a dedicated Green Highways Fund. This fund supports not only tree planting but also transplantation, beautification, and long-term care of saplings.
Recent data from the NHAI reveals that Uttar Pradesh has greened 5,200 kilometers of national highways since the policy’s inception, with 51.68 lakh plants planted across 869 highway projects nationwide by December 2021, a significant portion in UP. The state’s efforts align with the Green National Highways Corridors Project, backed by a $500 million World Bank agreement signed in 2020, which includes 783 kilometers of highways in UP, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. In UP, key stretches like the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway and Varanasi-Gorakhpur Highway have seen extensive plantation drives, with over 10 lakh saplings planted in 2024 alone.
The initiative also emphasizes socio-economic benefits, generating employment for over 2 lakh rural residents in UP through nursery development, planting, and maintenance activities. Local self-help groups, NGOs, and farmers are actively involved, ensuring community ownership. For instance, in districts like Meerut and Ghaziabad, women-led groups have been trained to manage nurseries, fostering economic empowerment alongside environmental gains.
However, challenges remain. Survival rates of saplings are a concern, with only 60-70% of trees planted in UP surviving due to grazing, inadequate watering, and poor maintenance. Experts suggest that contractors often lack expertise in afforestation, and the ₹1,700 per sapling allocated for three-year maintenance is insufficient compared to the actual cost of ₹3,500. To address this, the NHAI has introduced stricter monitoring using ISRO’s Bhuvan and GAGAN satellite systems to track tree survival and ensure accountability. Agencies failing to achieve a 90% survival rate face penalties, and new contracts are awarded based on performance audits.
Environmentalists have raised concerns about the felling of old trees for highway expansion, with 1.84 lakh trees cut nationwide for 2,455 kilometers of road development between 2001 and 2020. In UP, activists advocate for transplanting mature trees, as demonstrated in Madurai, where earthmovers were used to relocate trees with intact roots. The state is exploring similar techniques, with pilot projects in Lucknow and Agra showing promise.
The ecological impact of UP’s green highways is significant. Trees act as natural sinks for pollutants, reducing particulate matter by up to 37% and ultrafine particles by 7%, as shown in a 2024 Georgia State University study. They also mitigate the urban heat island effect, providing shade on UP’s scorching highways, where summer temperatures often exceed 40°C. Additionally, the plantations contribute to carbon sequestration, with the potential to offset a portion of the 391 million tonnes of CO2 emitted annually by India’s highway network.
Uttar Pradesh’s commitment to greening its highways sets a model for sustainable infrastructure. The state plans to expand plantations to an additional 2,000 kilometers by 2030, aligning with National Highways’ goal of planting 3 million trees across India. With community participation and technological oversight, UP’s green highways are paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information sourced from credible web reports, including government announcements, environmental studies, and news publications. Data is accurate as of December 2024 and may be subject to updates. Readers are advised to verify real-time statistics with official sources like the NHAI or MoRTH for the latest developments.