NHAI undertakes scientific pilot greenbelt project in Nagpur

National Highways Authority of India on Friday said it has approved a pilot project for undertaking scientific studies on designing greenbelts along the national highways.

The project - proposed by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) - will be implemented on a 5 km stretch on National Highway 7 between Jam and Hinganghat in Maharashtra's Nagpur at an estimated cost of Rs.11.80 crore.

Under the project, around 20,000 trees of scientifically chosen species are proposed to be planted on both sides of this stretch in multiple rows. The project will run for five years, and during this period, various experiments will be conducted in NEERI laboratory to record the impact of greenbelt development.

Besides developing the greenbelt, the project will also assist in developing relevant research infrastructure that may be used for similar studies in future.