NHAI to boost 'Trees for Bees' pollinator corridors along Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway

The National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI)regional office here is slated to undertake the development of pollinator (bees) corridors along identified stretches of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway during the upcoming monsoon season. Reaffirming its commitment to environmentally sustainable national highway development, the initiative aligns with the Green Highways Policy, 2015 and the approved Annual Plantation Action Plan 2026-27, reflecting a calibrated shift towards ecologically responsive plantation practices, an official statement said on Thursday. The ''Trees for Bees'' campaign promotes plant species supportive of bees and other pollinators that aid crop production for farmers. Accordingly, the proposed corridors will feature continuous stretches of bee-friendly vegetation with carefully selected flowering species ensuring year-round availability of nectar and pollen. Under the approved action plan for 2026-27, saplings totalling 3,86,653 are proposed to be planted across Punjab and Haryana. Plantation activities will be carried out during the forthcoming monsoon season, leveraging favourable climatic conditions to ensure optimal growth and higher survival rates. Pollinators such as honeybees and wild bees play a critical role in agriculture, horticulture and ecological balance. However, their population is declining significantly due to multiple environmental and pollution-related factors. The National Highway plantations present a unique opportunity to support these species by creating suitable habitats through careful species selection and planned plantations, the statement said. Under this initiative, the stretch which has been identified for implementation is from the junction with Patiala-Bathinda Road (NH-7) near Bhawanigarh to the junction with Ludhiana-Malerkotla Road near Bhogiwal village in Punjab. In Haryana, the stretch is on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Package 5 (NE-5). The corridors will feature a diverse mix of native and locally suitable species such as Neem, Jamun, Arjun, Amaltas, Peepal, Kadam, Amla and Neeli Gulmohar, along with suitable shrub species in the medians. The species selection has been designed to ensure staggered flowering across seasons, enabling a near-continuous blooming cycle. To enhance ecological connectivity, clusters of flowering trees will be planted at intervals of approximately 500 metres to one kilometre, in line with the average foraging range of pollinators. To be implemented under a focused campaign titled ''Trees for Bees'', this initiative will be carried out within the ambit of the approved Annual Plantation Action Plan 2026-27, without any additional financial implications. It is expected to deliver significant ecological benefits and strengthen biodiversity. The NHAI continues to lead by example in integrating sustainability into infrastructure development, setting new benchmarks for environmentally responsible growth across the country, it said.

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