Alleging that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is ignoring mandatory norms of developing greenery along the highways, NGOs have urged the Union and State governments to initiate measures to address the issue.
They say that the norms should be strictly adhered to along the NH passing through Visakhapatnam, Bhogapuram, Srikakulam, Itchapuram stretch where the six-lane works have been under way. “Same is the situation on the Raipur-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam stretch where many trees have been uprooted in the last three years. The NHAI is shirking its responsibility to develop greenery after completion of the works. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the NHAI has been lax in this regard,” said Green Bank chairman G. Pushpanatham on the eve of World Environmental Day on Thursday.
He alleged that despite several directions to the NHAI, the Green Highways Mission guidelines were not being followed.
Meanwhile, fingers are being pointed to the lack of coordination between the NHAI and the Forest Department when it comes to undertaking plantation drives after the construction of highways. Hardly any such drive was undertaken to replenish the greenery in the event of uprooting of trees.
“Vehicular pollution is causing harm to the environment and development greenery is only solution. Unfortunately, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board is not taking the issue seriously. The government must issue a directive to ensure adequate greenery along the highways,” said Mr. Pushpanatham.
Meanwhile, the Social Forestry Department has expressed its displeasure over the violation of norms associated with plantation drive. “The NHAI authorities depend on private contractors for development of greenery along the highways and the later ignore the technical specifications pertaining to selection of trees. Only certain plant species can survive along the highways,” said a senior officer of Forest Department on the condition of anonymity.
NHAI responds
However, NHAI General Manager-cum-Project Director P. Sivasankar refuted the allegations. “Nearly 3,000 saplings have been planted between the strech of Ranasthalam of Srikakulam district and Anandapuram of Visakhapatnam district. It needs three years for the growth of the plants to be seen. We are trying to develop greenery simultaneously while constructing the six-lane highway,” he told the The Hindu.
