In a strong push for environmental sustainability, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organized a major plantation drive along the Faridabad-Noida International Airport Corridor as part of the ongoing ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign. Around 17,000 trees were planted near the Yamuna Expressway Interchange in Gautam Budh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.
The event saw the presence of Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of State Shri Ajay Tamta and Shri Harsh Malhotra, MP Dr. Mahesh Sharma, MLA Shri Dhirendra Singh, NHAI Chairman Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, and senior officials from MoRTH and local administration. School students also joined the initiative, helping promote the message of environmental responsibility among youth.
Shri Gadkari emphasized that a significant portion of pollution originates from fossil fuels used by vehicles on national highways. He highlighted NHAI’s efforts in promoting alternative fuels, reusing 80 lakh tons of waste in road construction, implementing rainwater harvesting, and conducting extensive plantation drives across India’s road network.
This plantation drive along the Faridabad-Noida corridor is expected to deliver ecological benefits such as improved air quality, reduced soil erosion, and better biodiversity. The initiative also aims to position the corridor as a flagship example of “green infrastructure” in the country, blending infrastructure development with ecological balance.
As part of its wider goals, NHAI planted around 67 lakh trees in 2024–25—exceeding its target of 60 lakh plantations. Over 12 lakh trees have already been planted in the current year under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ initiative alone. Since the introduction of the Green Highways Policy in 2015, NHAI has planted 4.78 crore trees and transplanted nearly 70,000 more.
With initiatives like these, NHAI continues to lead the way in merging infrastructure development with environmental stewardship, setting new benchmarks for sustainable highways across the nation.
