In order to promote environment sustainability with infrastructure advancement, a tree plantation drive was organised today, along the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor at Katha Toll Plaza in Baghpat District, Uttar Pradesh. Commemorating ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign, the initiative aims to plant around 40,000 trees along the Delhi–Dehradun Corridor. Shri V. Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways planted the first sapling of the plantation drive.
NHAI Chairman Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, along with senior NHAI officials including Shri Vishal Chauhan, Member (Administration); Shri Alok Deepankar, Member (Technical); Shri Mohammad Safi, Regional Officer (Delhi); Shri Vishal Gupta, Regional Officer (Uttarakhand); and Shri Narendra Singh, Project Director (PIU Baghpat) participated in the drive and planted trees.
The drive also saw active participation from senior officials of the local administration which included Smt. Asmita Lal, District Magistrate, Baghpat; Shri Suraj Kumar Rai, Superintendent of Police; Shri Avinash Tripathi, Sub-Divisional Magistrate; and other district officials. Students from various schools also planted trees on the occasion to spread the message of environment sustainability.
The Delhi–Dehradun Corridor will enhance connectivity between Delhi and Uttarakhand. Plantation of around 40,000 trees along the corridor will provide many ecological benefits to the region like improved air quality, reduced soil erosion, and enhanced biodiversity. This dual focus on both environment sustainability and infrastructure development will position Delhi–Dehradun Corridor as a pioneering example of green infrastructure, establishing a new benchmark for green development across the country.
Commemorating ‘Ek ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ initiative, NHAI has planted over 5,12,000 trees along the National Highways across the country. The vision is to saturate plantations along the National Highways collectively by involving various stakeholders to create a green and sustainable National Highway network.