Paper: GS – III, Subject: Ecology and Environment, Topic: Indian Initiatives, efforts and Commitments, Issue: India’s Highway Policy Needs a Green Reset.
Context:
India’s rapid highway expansion is improving connectivity, reducing logistics costs, and supporting economic growth. However, highway development is also creating ecological fragmentation, pollution exposure, and pressure on agricultural landscapes, requiring a greener policy approach.
Key Takeaways:
Explanation:
Highways as Ecological Landscapes:
- Highways should be planned as ecological and socio-economic landscapes, not merely as roads for vehicle movement.
- Green planning can reduce pollution, support biodiversity, and improve local microclimates.
Highway Farm Forestry:
- Farmers near highways can be encouraged to grow commercially useful tree crops instead of pollution-sensitive food crops in highly exposed zones.
- Species such as bamboo, poplar, teak, Malabar neem, and gamhar may support timber industries and rural employment.
Tiered Zone Approach:
- Pollution-affected belts close to highways can prioritise tree-based systems.
- Areas farther away can continue with mixed agroforestry or conventional agriculture based on local conditions.
Benefits and Safeguards:
- Roadside tree systems can support pollinators, birds, carbon sequestration, and ecological connectivity.
- Monoculture plantations and invasive species must be avoided.
- Native and mixed-species plantations should be preferred.
- Implementation requires quality planting material, extension services, predictable markets, simplified regulations, and coordination among highway, agriculture, forest, and local institutions.
Conclusion:
India’s highway policy needs a green reset that integrates mobility, ecology, and livelihoods. Highway Farm Forestry can make road corridors more resilient, productive, and environmentally sustainable if implemented with scientific planning and farmer support.
Source: (The Indian Express)
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