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ITC is partnering the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in its initiative to develop eco-friendly national highways (NH) by spearheading an extensive tree plantation initiative along the highways in the country.
An agreement was signed between the NHAI and ITC in New Delhi today in the presence of Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
NHAI has constituted the National Green Highway Mission (NGHM) to facilitate the plantation activity in a focused manner, in alignment with the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy 2015 launched by the Government.
ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division will develop a project for tree plantation, focused on productive as well as conservation attributes, on the available stretches of NHs located in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Two stretches have been identified for the pilot phase, covering about 264 km.
The first stretch on NH 40 from Kurnool to Kadapa is a 114-km stretch with an estimated plantable area of 100 hectares, while the second stretch on NH 44 from Hyderabad to Bengaluru is of 149 km, with an estimated plantable area of another 100 hectares.
Sanjay Singh, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with the National Highway Authority of India in this landmark initiative of the government. ITC’s experience in greening over 243,000 hectares will enable us to contribute meaningfully to this project. This collaboration will significantly augment the country’s green cover, besides creating sustainable livelihoods for rural and marginalised communities."
Dr A K Bhattacharya, IFS (Retd), MD, National Green Highways Mission under NHAI, said, “Together, we will endeavour to address the challenge of global warming and environmental degradation through the creation of green cover along the highways.”
According to the agreement, user rights for plantation, management and sustainable harvesting on the identified stretches of NH road-side land will be provided to ITC for a period of 20 years.
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