Lok Sabha Question No. 161 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-30
Subject: Conversion of NHs into Green Corridors
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION No. 161**

ANSWERED ON 30 TH JULY, 2015

**CONVERSION OF NHS INTO GREEN CORRIDORS**

*161.	  SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

(a)	the existing policy or the guidelines of the Government for plantation of trees along the National Highways (NHs) in the country;

(b)	whether the Government proposes to bring New Green Policy to convert entire length of NHs into green corridors;

(c)	if so, the details thereof including the modalities worked out for the purpose;

(d)	the estimated generation of employment and contribution to economic growth as a result of the proposed policy; and

(e)	whether the Government proposes to import foreign technology for transplantations and delink plantation of trees from construction work and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

**ANSWER**

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to (e)	A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

**STATEMENT** REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 161 FOR ANSWER ON 30.07.2015 ASKED BY SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO AND SHRI SATAV RAJEEV REGARDING ‘CONVERSION OF NHs INTO GREEN CORRIDORS’

(a) 	The Ministry’s extant guidelines on plantation of trees along the National Highways are at 	Annexure.

(b) to (e) The Ministry is in the process of framing the Green Highways (Plantation and Maintenance) 	   Policy-2015 which will address these issues.

**ANNEXURE** **REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO 161 ASKED BY SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO AND SHRI SATAV RAJEEV TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.7.2015 REGARDING “CONVERSION OF NHS INTO GREEN CORRIDORS” .**

1.	Guidelines on Plantation of Trees along National Highways

1.1.	Location of Trees

Trees should be placed at a minimum distance of 10-12 metres from the centre line of the extreme traffic lane to provide recovery area for the vehicle that runs off the road.  A second row of trees 6 m. further away will also be desirable and planted wherever possible.  Preferably the first row of trees should consist of species with thick shade and other rows of vertical type providing thin shade.  However, further road expansion programme should be kept in view while locating the trees.

1.2	Removal and plantation of trees

Existing trees should generally be preserved as far as possible and no indiscriminate felling of trees should be resorted while upgrading/widening and improving the highway.  Trees located on roadway or embankment slopes have proved to be potential traffic hazarad to vehicles going off the carriageway and hitting against them.  Therefore, wherever the trees on National Highways are either on the roadway itself or too close to it constituting safety hazard, these shall be replaced systematically by alternative plantation.  The existing trees by the side of the roadway which in the opinion of Engineer-in-Chief are serious threat to safety should be removed immediately  after obtaining the approval of competent authority. Other trees within 10m of the centre line of extreme traffic lane should be removed gradually after planting alternative trees.

1.3	Wherever there is a possibility of: (i) trees dying due to old age; (ii) removal for widening and improvement of (iii) removal for traffic safety, alternative trees must be planted to replace them well in advance.  While planting new trees care should be taken to maintain lateral clearances mentioned above.

1.4	Temporary trees and shrubs

Since permanent trees will take time to grow as an immediate measure quick-growing temporary trees may be planted in between the space for permanent trees which may be removed after the permanent ones have grown up.

1.5	Selection of species of trees

The spacing and type of permanent and temporary trees to be planted in any locality will depend on local conditions such as rainfall, climate type of soil etc.  Selection of tree-species should, therefore, be carefully done with the advice of officers from horticulture or forest department.  Age and the time at which the tree is transplanted from nurseries should be decided in consultation with horticulturist as small saplings generally have a high rate of fatality and their planting should be discouraged.  In addition to growing of trees, efforts should be directed for planting the flowering sub-trees and shrubs on the sides of road embankments in tune with an overall landscaping scheme prepared by landscape or horticulture experts.

1.6	Typical arrangement

In the case of a 4-lane divided highway, the distances for alternative rows of trees should be reckoned from the nearest unidirectional carriageway.  No indiscriminate felling of trees is resorted to at the time of upgrading a two-lane road to 4-lane divided standards.  As far as possible, the existing trees should be preserved by suitably locating the second carriageway within the available right-of-way by adopting a wide enough central verge.

1.7	Set back of trees on curves

Experience has been that growth of thick vegetation close to the formation on inside of horizontal curve leads to serious reduction of sight distance and causes avoidable accidents with cattle/children suddenly emerging from the side.  Uncontrolled trees/vegetation may also affect visibility of traffic control devices and road signs.  Therefore, in plain terrain, a stopping sight distance of 170m corresponding to the design speed of 100 Km. Per Hour(P.H.) may be ensured on all curved sections of National Highways along the innermost lane.  However where there are site restrictions this requirement may be, as a special case, reduced to 120 m corresponding the design speed of 80 Km P.H. The existing trees and vegetation on the sides have to be suitably thinned/trimmed, or even removed if necessary and a regular programme of pruning of the offending trees should be instilled as part of the maintenance operations.

1.8	Landscaping of bridge approaches

Bridges constitute an important part of the National Highways and as such landscaping scheme should incorporate them also.  Shrubs and flowers should be planted around such structure to beautify the place and side slopes of approaches landscaped with some grassing/flowering tree/bushes.  In this connection, the requirement of drainage, stability of slopes and traffic safety should be kept in view and given over-riding consideration.

1.9	Landscaping and gardening of traffic rotaries

The traffic rotaries and/or road margins of National Highways should always be kept tidy and pleasing by the department dealing with the National Highways.

2.	Maintenance and cutting of Trees

2.1	Permission to cut trees

Trees on National Highways are a natural asset paid from National Highway Funds.  These should not be cut or their branches lopped off indiscriminately without the prior approval of the competent authority. However, prior permission will not be necessary in certain special cases like when dry or dead trees are required to be removed for the safety of traffic or pruning of trees being done as a regular feature of maintenance programme.  The working cutting of trees should be carried out only by the authorized department.

2.2	Competent authority for these purposes is the Director General (Roads Development), Government of India, Ministry of Shipping and Transport (Roads Wing) or persons authorized by him on his behalf.  The officers authorized by the Director General (roads Development) to accord permission for specific cases of felling trees are mentioned as under:-

(i)	The regional officer of the Ministry, for the felling of trees (including cutting of branches), on the National Highways and the land appurtenant thereto, after satisfying himself that the need for such cutting/felling actually exists and arrangement has been made to plant new trees.  Regional officers shall submit a report of felling authorized by him to the Ministry soon after doing so.

(ii)	State Chief Engineer dealing with National Highway in cases can grant permission where cutting of only a few trees is involved and is considered inevitable e.g. where a power line crosses a National Highway at right angle or a single tree is to be cut because of its dangerous condition or its coming in the widened formation of the road.  Chief Engineer shall also furnish to the Director General (Roads Development) particulars of cuttings, authorized by him immediately after he has issued the necessary authorization to cut.  These powers cannot be delegated by the Chief Engineer to lower formations. Where a whole line of tress has to be cut i.e. when an electric line has to travel parallel to an existing highway for a long distance, the case should continue to be referred to the Director General (Roads Development) or the Regional Officer of the Ministry for approval.

2.3	When the plantation and maintenance of road side trees on National Highways has been handed over by the State Public Works Department to State Forest Department, the Chief Engineer concerned shall delegate his powers to the Chief Conservator of forests who shall act as the competent authority for permitting felling of trees etc.  the Chief Engineer in such cases shall communicate the contents of this letter to Forest Department for compliance and keep associated with them with regard to planning and implementation of proper road side plantation programme through periodical reviews  (quarterly or half yearly) and intimate the progress in case of original works in the quarterly reports being furnished to this Ministry.  The planning and implementation of landscaping work, however, shall remain with the State Public Works Department.

3.	Maintenance of trees and plantation of new ones on existing roads should be done from funds allotted for maintenance and repairs of National Highways.  In special cases original work sanctions could be considered for planting new trees on existing roads provided there is justification. These sanctions will be on the basis of detailed estimate.  For bypasses and new constructions the project estimates should provide for plantation and/or landscaping.

4.	Revenues from Trees

Under Section 4 of the National Highways Act, 1956, the property of all land appurtenant to a National Highway and such structures, fences, trees etc. mentioned in that section fall within that land, vests in the Central Government. As such, the receipt and revenues from avenue trees etc. should be credited to the appropriate Central Head of account.

5.	Plantation through public sector corporations/reputed private companies/voluntary organizations:

5.1.	Public sector corporations/reputed private companies/voluntary organizations are permitted to develop and maintain gardens/ tree plantations/ landscaping in vacant National Highway land on either side of the road/central verges/ rotaries for beautification and prevention of encroachments. For this purpose a strip of National Highway land can be allotted to reputed organizations under a particular Memorandum of Understanding.

6.	Plantation and Maintenance of shrubs and flowering plants in the Medians of Highways:

6.1	The essential purpose of planting in medians is to cut off headlight glare from traffic in the opposite direction.  Flowering plants and shrubs are eminently suited for the purpose. These could be planted in a variety of ways, but a very effective method is in the form of baffles (shrubs planted across the median at an angle at 15m interval as per IRC:SP:21-2009 “Guidelines on Landscaping and Tree Plantation”).  This method ensures a penetration of view for the drivers.  However, if the median width is less than about 3m, baffle plantation will not be effective and a continuous line of shrubs should instead be thought of . shrubs in medians should not exceed 1-1.5m in height, otherwise visibility of the second carriageway will be affected. Further, in the vicinity of road inter-sections and median opening, no plantation should be done for a length of 10-15m to ensure adequate visibility.  Also no plantation should be done where the median is tapered to provide for a turning lane.

7.	Transplantation of Trees

7.1	A beautiful tree in the “wrong” place on roads need to be salvaged rather than destroyed. Therefore, transplanting existing trees during the widening of National Highways should be preferred to the extent possible. IRC:SP:21-2009 “Guidelines on Landscaping and Tree Plantation”, provides for various transplanting techniques whereby even fully grown trees of almost any species or size can be successfully  transplanted.

7.2	The estimates for any widening scheme on National Highways should also include the provision for Transplantation of trees along either side of the project Highways as per the IRC guidelines to the extent possible. The maintenance of such transplanted trees should also be included in the contract documents of all BOT and EPC projects. Plantation of tall nursery grown saplings of indigenous species may continue to be main method of afforestation which should be supplemented by the transplantation technology for young and small trees.

7.3	The matter may also be taken up with the State Forest Department to exempt Highway Authorities form permission and depositing any fee on this account, as instead of cutting of trees, transplantation of trees will be carried out.

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