Green Highways

1. At a Glance

• Green Highways is India's approach to making National Highways greener. It combines roadside plantation, climate-resilient design, construction with recycled or waste-derived materials, and satellite monitoring of green cover. [1]
• It is guided by the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015, which covers all National Highways in the country. [1][2]
• Why it matters for UPSC: it links infrastructure (GS-III) with environment and conservation (GS-III), and it involves space technology (ISRO-NRSC), CSIR research and community participation. [1][7][9]

2. Why in the News

• 28 Sep 2026: PIB released a feature saying more than 3.61 crore saplings were planted across about 1.32 lakh km of NHs in the last five years (data as of July 2026). [1]
• Sep 2026: new NHAI guidelines make plantation part of provisional completion certification. At least 80% of the Right of Way (RoW) earmarked for plantation must be covered, and saplings need at least 90% survival. [1]
• First Annual Report on the NH-Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26 was released, prepared with NRSC-ISRO. [1][7]
• Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026 were given out. The awards were instituted by NHAI in 2025. [1]
• CSIR transferred indigenous bio-bitumen technology ("Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads"). [9][10]

3. Background & Evolution

• Why the policy was made: the 2015 Policy was framed to [1]:
• build a policy framework for plantation along NHs
• reduce air pollution and dust, since trees act as sinks for pollutants
• stop soil erosion on embankment slopes
• moderate wind and incoming radiation

• create jobs for local people

• 2015: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the Green Highways Policy. [3]

• 1% of the total project cost of every NH contract is set aside for a Green Fund corpus used for plantation. [3][2]
• Initial drive: plantation was launched on 1,500 km of NHs under the Green Highways Project. The estimate was 10 jobs per km greened, or about 15,000 people in total. [4]
• Participation model: the policy seeks participation from communities, farmers, the private sector, NGOs and government institutions. [2]
• Carbon estimate: the afforestation was expected to sequester about 12 lakh MT of carbon a year. [3][4]
• Miyawaki plantations were brought in by NHAI to increase green cover. [6][1]
• NHAI–NRSC MoU: a three-year MoU was signed to develop the "Green Cover Index" using high-resolution satellite imagery. [8]
• 2015-16 to 2024-25: NHAI planted 465.42 lakh saplings after the policy came in. Madhya Pradesh (43.53 lakh) and Maharashtra (40.17 lakh) were among the leading states. [2][5]
• 2025: Green Highways Excellence Awards instituted. 2025–26: first NH-GCI Annual Report. Sep 2026: plantation-linked completion guidelines. [1][7]

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Full name	Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015 [1]
Ministry	Ministry of Road Transport & Highways; implemented through NHAI and other agencies [1][2]
Monitoring body	Plantation Cell working through NHAI regional offices and other agencies [1]
Who plants	Self Help Groups, private agencies, State Forest Departments, Forest Corporations and contractors [1]
Funding	1% of NH project cost goes to the Green Fund [3]
NH network size	91,287 km (2014) → 1,46,572 km (Mar 2026), growth of about 61% [1]
Plantation, last 5 years	More than 3.61 crore saplings over about 1.32 lakh km (as of Jul 2026) [1]
RoW	Land legally needed to build, operate and maintain a highway [1]
Completion norms (Sep 2026)	At least 80% of earmarked RoW planted; at least 90% survival; the same survival benchmark applies during O&M, with timely replacement of plants that die [1]
Miyawaki technique	Also called the "pot plantation method". Trees and shrubs are planted densely; growth can be up to 10 times faster; suited to urban areas with little space [1]
NH-GCI	Share (%) of land under green cover within the NH RoW, measured at 1-km granularity. First cycle covered about 30,000 km across 24 States for Jul–Dec 2024 [1][7]
Bio-bitumen	Developed by CSIR-CRRI (New Delhi) and CSIR-IIP (Dehradun). Rice straw is pelletised, pyrolysed into bio-oil, then blended with bitumen. It can safely replace 20–30% of conventional bitumen [9][10]
Bio-bitumen trial	NHAI planned a trial on the Jorabat–Shillong section of NH-40 [11]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Environmental

• Vegetation along highways traps pollutants and dust, reduces slope erosion, and moderates wind and radiation. [1]
• Compensatory afforestation and tree transplantation are done wherever trees have to be felled. [1]
• Community initiatives and pollinator corridors add wider ecological value. [1]
• Bio-bitumen made from rice straw offers a use for crop residue and lowers GHG emissions. This is relevant to stubble burning. [9][11]

Economic

• Bio-bitumen reduces bitumen imports and gives farmers and MSMEs a new source of revenue. [11]
• The 1% Green Fund gives plantation a dedicated source of money. [3]
• NHAI planned ₹1,000 crore Green Bonds, which connects the programme to green finance. [12]

Social / Employment

• Greening creates local jobs, estimated at 10 per km. [4]
• SHGs, farmers and NGOs take part in plantation. [1][2]

Scientific / Technological

• NH-GCI uses high-resolution satellite imagery from NRSC. [7][8]
• Monitoring has moved from field site visits alone to drone and satellite checks as well. [1]
• CSIR says India was the first country to take bio-bitumen to industrial and commercial scale within the same year. [9]

Governance / Administrative

• Tying plantation to provisional completion certificates changes the focus from how many saplings are planted to how many survive. [1]
• The Excellence Awards give the most weight to survival. They also reward species diversity, use of native species, site-specific plans and protection measures. [1]
• Challenge: planting is done by many agencies (SHGs, contractors, Forest Departments), so coordination and accountability are harder. The Plantation Cell tries to address this. [1]

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 2025: NHAI instituted the Green Highways Excellence Awards. [1]
• 2025–26: first NH-GCI Annual Report released with NRSC-ISRO; covers about 30,000 km in 24 States. [1][7]
• CSIR bio-bitumen technology transfer, showcased as "Clean, Green Highways". [9][10]
• Sep 2026: NHAI guidelines set the 80% RoW coverage and 90% survival conditions for completion certificates. [1]
• 2026 Award winners [1]:
• Avenue Plantations: Chilakaluripet Bypass six-laning, NH-16 (Andhra Pradesh)
• Median Plantations: Hyderabad–Yadgiri four-laning, NH-163

• Land Parcels: Jamtha Clover Leaf Oxygen Bird Park, NH-44, Nagpur

• 28 Sep 2026: PIB feature reports 3.61 crore saplings over 1.32 lakh km. [1]

7. Prelims Hooks

• Full name: Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015. [1]
• 1% of total NH project cost goes to the Green Fund corpus. [3]
• NH network grew about 61%, from 91,287 km (2014) to 1,46,572 km (Mar 2026). [1]
• More than 3.61 crore saplings planted over about 1.32 lakh km in the last five years (as of July 2026). [1]
• NH-GCI was prepared with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO. [1][7]
• NH-GCI measures green cover within the RoW at 1-km granularity, expressed as a percentage. [7]
• First NH-GCI cycle: about 30,000 km, 24 States, Jul–Dec 2024. [7]
• Miyawaki technique is also called the "pot plantation method"; growth can be up to 10 times faster. [1]
• Plantation counts toward provisional completion only if at least 80% of earmarked RoW is covered and survival is at least 90%. [1]
• Bio-bitumen developers: CSIR-CRRI (New Delhi) and CSIR-IIP (Dehradun). Feedstock is rice straw, via pyrolysis. [9]
• Bio-bitumen can replace 20–30% of conventional bitumen. [10]
• Green Highways Excellence Awards were instituted by NHAI in 2025. [1]
• Jamtha Clover Leaf Oxygen Bird Park is on NH-44, Nagpur. [1]
• The first Green Highways plantation drive covered 1,500 km. [4]

8. What 3.61 Crore Saplings Does Not Tell You

• The count shows saplings planted, not trees lost
• The headline figures count what went into the ground: 3.61 crore saplings in five years [1], and 465.42 lakh since 2015 [2].
• None of the sources in this note gives a national count of trees cut down for these same highway projects.

• Without that second number, nobody can say whether green cover along NHs went up or down overall. This is the net figure (trees gained minus trees lost).

• A sapling is not the same as a grown tree

• The 2015 Policy's own reasons for planting are catching dust, holding soil on slopes and blocking wind [1]. A grown tree does all of this far better than a young plant.

• So when a grown tree is cut and a sapling is planted in its place, the numbers match, but the benefit is much smaller for many years.

• For years the system counted planting, not survival

• Between 2017-18 and 2021-22 (till October 2021), NHAI reported 223.94 lakh plants to Parliament. All of these were counts of planting [13].

• Survival became a condition for a completion certificate only in September 2026 (the 90% norm) [1]. So the survival of most saplings planted before 2026 was never tested against a fixed standard.

• The carbon figure is still a forecast

• The 12 lakh MT a year of carbon sequestration (carbon taken out of the air and stored in trees) was an estimate made at launch [3][4].
• None of the sources in this note reports a measured figure to check it against.

9. What the Satellite Index Can and Cannot See

• The first report covers only about one-fifth of the network
• The first NH-GCI cycle covered about 30,000 km [7]. The NH network is 1,46,572 km [1].

• So about 80% of National Highways had no satellite green-cover score in the first report.

• The satellite measures green area, not what kind of green

• NH-GCI gives the percentage of land inside the RoW (Right of Way, the strip of land that belongs to the highway) that is green [7].
• From above, a patch of weeds, a single non-native species planted in rows, and a mixed native forest can all look 'green'.

• The Excellence Awards do reward native species and species diversity [1]. But the index, which covers far more of the network, cannot check either of them.

• The index cannot tell a new plant from an old tree

• Green cover is measured in 1-km blocks [7]. If one old tree is cut and saplings fill the same space, the score may barely change.

• So the index shows how green the road looks today. It does not show what was lost to build it.

• Plant-level tracking already exists but is not linked to the index

• NHAI's Harit Path mobile app geo-tags individual plants (marks each plant's exact location) [14].
• The satellite index works at the 1-km level. Only the app can show whether a particular plant survived. None of the sources says the two are used together.

10. Why the Green Fund Follows Road Cost, Not Tree Loss

• Plantation money grows when the road costs more, not when more trees are cut
• 1% of each NH project's cost goes to the Green Fund [3].
• CAG's audit of Bharatmala Phase-I found that the cost per km rose from ₹14 crore to ₹24 crore [15]. So the Green Fund share per km rose from about ₹14 lakh to about ₹24 lakh.

• That increase came from higher costs, not from more tree loss. A road through forest and a road through bare land of the same cost get the same 1%.

• Forest land slows the roads, and that pushes builders to hurry

• CAG found that projects were delayed because the RoW was not available and there were disputes over forest land [15].

• Delay on forest stretches puts pressure to clear land quickly. That is also where careful choices, such as transplanting trees instead of cutting them, matter most.

• The main highway audit does not look at plantation

• The PRS summary of CAG's 2023 Bharatmala Phase-I audit reports no findings on plantation [15].
• CAG also found tenders were floated without detailed project reports, or with inaccurate ones [15]. A site-specific plantation plan, which the Awards reward [1], needs an accurate project report first.

11. Is Green Highways Just Greenwashing? The Fair Answer

• The strongest criticism
• The NH network grew by about 61% in about 12 years [1]. Building that much road means clearing land, and often trees.
• Critics say saplings along the roadside are a public-relations cover for that loss. This is called greenwashing (making something look greener than it really is).

• The case from the 'what the count does not tell you' section supports them: there is no net-tree figure, and survival was unchecked for most of the policy's life [1][13].

• What the critics get right

• A line of saplings on the edge of a road is not a forest, and does not replace one.

• The programme's best-known numbers count inputs (saplings planted), not outcomes (trees alive, cover gained).

• What the critics miss

• Planting has always been done in addition to the legal duty under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, not instead of it [13]. Where forest land is taken, compensatory afforestation (planting elsewhere to make up for the loss) is still required.

• The rules have moved from counting to checking. Since 2026, survival is a condition for payment [1], and cover is now checked by satellite [7]. These are real accountability tools, not just claims.

• Fair conclusion

• Green Highways is not fake. But it is a plan to make up for damage, not proof that no damage was done.
• It will earn that proof only when it publishes trees lost next to trees planted.

12. Who Should Do What Next

• MoRTH/NHAI should publish a tree balance for every project
• Publish, for each project, the trees cut, the trees transplanted, the saplings planted and the saplings alive.

• Today the headline gives only saplings planted [1][2]. Putting the two sides together would answer the greenwashing charge directly.

• NHAI and NRSC-ISRO should extend NH-GCI to the whole network

• The first cycle covered about 30,000 km of 1,46,572 km [1][7]. A full-network index would stop reporting that picks only the best stretches.

• Each stretch's score should be recorded before construction begins. The drop during construction and the recovery afterwards can then both be measured.

• NHAI should link Harit Path records to the 90% survival check

• The app already geo-tags plants [14]. Plant-by-plant records could back up the 90% survival figure needed for a completion certificate [1].

• Without them, that figure rests on the contractor's own report.

• CAG should audit the Green Fund

• CAG's Bharatmala audit examined cost, delay and project reports, but not plantation [15].
• An audit of the 1% Green Fund [3] should check how much money was collected, how much was spent and how many plants survived. That would test the programme the same way the roads were tested.

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: 3.61 crore saplings over about 1.32 lakh km in the last five years (as of July 2026). This counts planting, not survival or net gain [1]
• Data: first NH-GCI cycle covered about 30,000 km of a 1,46,572 km NH network, roughly one-fifth [1][7]
• Data: CAG found NH cost per km under Bharatmala Phase-I rose from ₹14 crore to ₹24 crore, which raises the 1% Green Fund per km along with it [15][3]
• Report/Committee: CAG Performance Audit on Implementation of Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana, 2023 (RoW and forest-land delays; tenders without accurate project reports) [15]; NH-GCI First Annual Report 2025–26, NHAI with NRSC-ISRO [7]
• Law/Case: Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Highway plantation is done in addition to compensatory afforestation under this Act [13]
• Scheme: Harit Path app, NHAI's geo-tagging tool to track individual highway plants [14]; Bharatmala Pariyojana, the main driver of NH expansion and so of tree loss [15]

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Infrastructure (roads); Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Science & Technology (indigenisation, space applications).
• GS-II (secondary): Government policies and interventions; role of SHGs.
• Possible Mains questions: 1. "Highways can be both carbon sinks and connectivity corridors." Examine India's Green Highways approach in the light of the rapid expansion of the NH network. 2. How can satellite-based tools such as the National Highways Green Cover Index improve accountability in environmental compliance for infrastructure projects? 3. Discuss the potential of bio-bitumen from crop residue to address both import dependence and stubble burning.

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 / CAMPA: the legal basis for afforestation when trees are felled for highway projects.
• Bharatmala Pariyojana: the main driver of NH expansion, and so of green-cover needs.
• Stubble burning and crop-residue management: supplies the feedstock for bio-bitumen.
• NRSC / Bhuvan and the India State of Forest Report: other ways of measuring green cover from space.
• Sovereign Green Bonds and green finance: related to NHAI's green bond plan.
• Nagar Van Yojana / Miyawaki urban forests: similar urban afforestation methods.
• Plastic and waste in road construction: part of the resource-efficiency side of green highways.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Policy year: it is 2015. Do not confuse it with Bharatmala (2017) or the NRSC MoU.
• Maker of the NH-GCI: NHAI with NRSC-ISRO. It is not the Forest Survey of India and not MoEFCC. [7]
• Two plantation figures: 465.42 lakh counts plantation since 2015 (2015-16 to 2024-25), while 3.61 crore counts only the last five years. [2][1]
• Bio-bitumen developers: CSIR-CRRI and CSIR-IIP, not IOCL or NHAI. NHAI only runs trials such as NH-40 Jorabat–Shillong. [9][11]
• Wrong numbers in the norms: 80% is RoW coverage and 90% is survival. Options often swap them. [1]