NHAI has mandated at least 80 per cent plantation coverage and a 90 per cent survival rate along National Highways, linking compliance to project completion certificates and enforcing financial withholdings until plantation targets are fully achieved.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced comprehensive guidelines to strengthen plantation and landscaping along National Highways, making environmental management an integral part of highway development, project completion and maintenance.
Under the revised guidelines, plantation works along highway medians and avenues will have to comply strictly with the provisions of the respective contract or concession agreement, along with the prescribed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and NHAI.
A key requirement introduced by NHAI is that plantation must cover at least 80 per cent of the available Right of Way (ROW) earmarked for plantation. In addition, the planted saplings must maintain a minimum survival rate of 90 per cent at the time of inspection by authorised officials.
The authority said plantation works would be considered compliant for the purpose of issuing the Provisional Completion Certificate (PCC) only after these minimum requirements are fulfilled. The same threshold will also apply in the context of the Provisional Commercial Operation Date (PCOD).
According to the guidelines, any shortfall in plantation beyond the prescribed 80 per cent coverage will have to be clearly highlighted. Project authorities will also be required to provide specific timelines for completing the remaining plantation work.
NHAI has further directed that financial provisions under the applicable contract or concession agreement will be enforced in cases where the plantation targets are not achieved. Appropriate financial withholdings will continue until the balance plantation is completed and the prescribed target is fully met.
The revised framework also places emphasis on maintaining plantation density over the long term. In cases where planted saplings die or fail to survive, the guidelines require timely replacement to prevent gaps in the green cover along National Highway corridors.
Importantly, replacement plants must be of similar age and growth to the plants they replace. NHAI said this measure would help maintain uniformity, continuity and overall plantation density along highway stretches.
The authority’s move follows observations that plantation development along highway medians and avenues, despite being a contractual obligation, was often not given adequate importance during the issuance of PCC or PCOD for National Highway projects.
The new requirements are intended to address this gap by linking plantation performance directly with project completion procedures. This would ensure that environmental commitments are not treated as secondary activities during highway construction.
The guidelines underline NHAI’s broader focus on integrating environmental sustainability into the core implementation and maintenance framework of National Highway projects. By setting measurable standards for plantation coverage and sapling survival, the authority aims to ensure that green infrastructure develops alongside physical highway infrastructure.
The mandatory 80 per cent plantation coverage and 90 per cent survival rate are therefore expected to provide a more structured mechanism for monitoring landscaping works and ensuring compliance throughout National Highway projects.
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The revised guidelines also reinforce the principle that plantation is an essential component of highway development rather than merely an additional landscaping activity. Through inspections, completion requirements and financial provisions, NHAI has sought to ensure that the prescribed environmental targets are achieved before projects receive provisional completion recognition.
