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Green Highways Fund: For the Plantation and Maintenance of Greenery Along Highways

News:

The government is planning to create a "Green Highways Fund" under its ambitious policy to transform India's 96,000 km network of National Highways under which it will be mandatory to set aside 1 per cent of the total road project cost for plantation on EPC/BOT mode.NHAI will act only as a Fund Manager for maintaining the account and releasing payments based on recommendation of concerned officials and agencies 

Source: ET

SNP Insights:

Even though planatation of trees alongside Highways are a part of Concessionaire agreement, many of the contractors didnt give much importance to it as it was not their feild of specialization which resulted in less greener highways. The plan for creating Green Highways Fund and NHAI acting as fund manager shows the concern of government in greening the highways which holds huge opportuinities for specialised contractors in planting and maintaining greenery alongside highways. It makes more economic sense by giving priority to fruit bearing trees in the second and third rows rather than planting Eucalyptus.

Source: SNP Infra Research