Ministry of Road Transport & Highways press release · 8 April 2026 · pibtracker filter

NHAI to Develop ‘NHAI Arogya Van’ - Thematic Medicinal Tree Plantations on Vacant Land Parcels Along National Highways

PRID2250041 MinistryMinistry of Road Transport & Highways Released8 April 2026 Reading9 min

Posted On: 08 APR 2026 4:26PM by PIB Delhi In a significant step towards enhancing biodiversity and integrating ecological sustainability in National Highway development, NHAI has taken the initiative to develop ‘ Arogya Van’, the thematic medicinal tree plantations on vacant land parcels along the National Highways. The initiative aims to enrich biodiversity along the National Highways by introducing medicinal tree species that support pollinators, birds and microfauna, thereby strengthening ecosystem resilience. In the first phase of developing ‘ Arogya Van’ , an action plan has been formulated covering 17 land parcels spanning over 62.8 hectares, where around 67,462 medicinal trees will be planted along different National Highway projects in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Also, around 36 tree species with established medicinal properties such as Neem, Amla, Imli, Jamun, Lemon, Gular, Maulsari etc. have been identified and will be planted at land parcels as per suitability to the respective agro-climatic zones. Priority will be given to land parcels near toll plazas, wayside amenities, interchanges, cloverleaf junctions and other prominent stretches along National Highways to maximize public awareness and outreach. Implementation of initiative will be in accordance with Government of India guidelines on landscaping and tree plantation. Traditionally, plantation activities along National Highways have been undertaken using a mix of native and avenue tree species aimed at greening and ecological stabilization. NHAI has identified approximately 188 hectares of vacant land for plantations during the forthcoming monsoon season to ensure higher survival rates and long-term sustainability. Adoption of a thematic model focusing on medicinal tree species will enhance the ecological, educational, and cultural value of such plantations. Initiative also aligns with the Government of India priority to promote traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and contribute towards conservation of indigenous medicinal flora. Further, these plantations are envisaged as living repositories that will create public awareness about traditional medicinal knowledge systems and their relevance in contemporary times. The ‘ Arogya Van’ initiative reinforces NHAI’s commitment towards developing environmentally sustainable infrastructure. By integrating ecological restoration with public outreach, the initiative aims to create a network of green corridors that not only enhance roadside ecology but also serve as knowledge hubs, promoting awareness about India’s rich heritage of medicinal plants and sustainable living practices. ***** GDH/DS (Release ID: 2250041) Visitor Counter : 2029 Read this release in: Urdu , हिन्दी Ministry of Road Transport & Highways NHAI to Develop ‘NHAI Arogya Van’ - Thematic Medicinal Tree Plantations on Vacant Land Parcels Along National Highways Posted On: 08 APR 2026 4:26PM by PIB Delhi In a significant step towards enhancing biodiversity and integrating ecological sustainability in National Highway development, NHAI has taken the initiative to develop ‘ Arogya Van’, the thematic medicinal tree plantations on vacant land parcels along the National Highways. The initiative aims to enrich biodiversity along the National Highways by introducing medicinal tree species that support pollinators, birds and microfauna, thereby strengthening ecosystem resilience. In the first phase of developing ‘ Arogya Van’ , an action plan has been formulated covering 17 land parcels spanning over 62.8 hectares, where around 67,462 medicinal trees will be planted along different National Highway projects in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Also, around 36 tree species with established medicinal properties such as Neem, Amla, Imli, Jamun, Lemon, Gular, Maulsari etc. have been identified and will be planted at land parcels as per suitability to the respective agro-climatic zones. Priority will be given to land parcels near toll plazas, wayside amenities, interchanges, cloverleaf junctions and other prominent stretches along National Highways to maximize public awareness and outreach. Implementation of initiative will be in accordance with Government of India guidelines on landscaping and tree plantation. Traditionally, plantation activities along National Highways have been undertaken using a mix of native and avenue tree species aimed at greening and ecological stabilization. NHAI has identified approximately 188 hectares of vacant land for plantations during the forthcoming monsoon season to ensure higher survival rates and long-term sustainability. Adoption of a thematic model focusing on medicinal tree species will enhance the ecological, educational, and cultural value of such plantations. Initiative also aligns with the Government of India priority to promote traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and contribute towards conservation of indigenous medicinal flora. Further, these plantations are envisaged as living repositories that will create public awareness about traditional medicinal knowledge systems and their relevance in contemporary times. The ‘ Arogya Van’ initiative reinforces NHAI’s commitment towards developing environmentally sustainable infrastructure. By integrating ecological restoration with public outreach, the initiative aims to create a network of green corridors that not only enhance roadside ecology but also serve as knowledge hubs, promoting awareness about India’s rich heritage of medicinal plants and sustainable living practices. ***** GDH/DS (Release ID: 2250041) In a significant step towards enhancing biodiversity and integrating ecological sustainability in National Highway development, NHAI has taken the initiative to develop ‘Arogya Van’, the thematic medicinal tree plantations on vacant land parcels along the National Highways. The initiative aims to enrich biodiversity along the National Highways by introducing medicinal tree species that support pollinators, birds and microfauna, thereby strengthening ecosystem resilience. In the first phase of developing ‘Arogya Van’, an action plan has been formulated covering 17 land parcels spanning over 62.8 hectares, where around 67,462 medicinal trees will be planted along different National Highway projects in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.   Also, around 36 tree species with established medicinal properties such as Neem, Amla, Imli, Jamun, Lemon, Gular, Maulsari etc. have been identified and will be planted at land parcels as per suitability to the respective agro-climatic zones. Priority will be given to land parcels near toll plazas, wayside amenities, interchanges, cloverleaf junctions and other prominent stretches along National Highways to maximize public awareness and outreach. Implementation of initiative will be in accordance with Government of India guidelines on landscaping and tree plantation. Traditionally, plantation activities along National Highways have been undertaken using a mix of native and avenue tree species aimed at greening and ecological stabilization. NHAI has identified approximately 188 hectares of vacant land for plantations during the forthcoming monsoon season to ensure higher survival rates and long-term sustainability. Adoption of a thematic model focusing on medicinal tree species will enhance the ecological, educational, and cultural value of such plantations. Initiative also aligns with the Government of India priority to promote traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and contribute towards conservation of indigenous medicinal flora. Further, these plantations are envisaged as living repositories that will create public awareness about traditional medicinal knowledge systems and their relevance in contemporary times. The ‘Arogya Van’ initiative reinforces NHAI’s commitment towards developing environmentally sustainable infrastructure. By integrating ecological restoration with public outreach, the initiative aims to create a network of green corridors that not only enhance roadside ecology but also serve as knowledge hubs, promoting awareness about India’s rich heritage of medicinal plants and sustainable living practices. ***** GDH/DS " /> var mPlayer = document.getElementById("background_music"); var mPlayAction = document.getElementById("playbutton"); var isPlaying = false; function playAudio() { mPlayer.play(); isPlaying = true; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "none"; } function pauseAudio() { mPlayer.pause(); isPlaying = false; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "none"; } //function HandleAudio() { // if (isPlaying == true) { // //Playing already Pause it // pauseAudio(); // } else { // //Play the music // playAudio(); // } //} var synth = window.speechSynthesis; function CleanHtml(html) { html = html.replace(/ /gi, ''); return html; } function stripHtml(html) { let tmp = document.createElement("DIV"); tmp.innerHTML = CleanHtml(html); return tmp.textContent || tmp.innerText || ""; } $(document).ready(function () { //for responsive tables $("table").each(function () { if (!$(this).closest(".table-responsive").length) { $(this).wrap(" "); } }); var width = $(window).width(); if (width $(document).ready(function () { var width = $(window).width(); if (width @media print { .sticky-social, .sticky-social_mb, .pull-right, #printPDF { display: none !important; } } .f_vl { padding-right: 30px; font-size: 17px; cursor: pointer; } .log_oo { // width: 20%; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; } .log_oo img { width: 150px; /*width: 100%; height: auto;*/ } .sticky-social_mb { position: fixed; bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 100%; } .social_mb { list-style: none; display: flex; width: 100%; margin-bottom: -8px; } .social_mb a { padding: 8px 0px; font-size: 30px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; width: 20% !important; text-align: center; } .section1 { position: relative; padding: 10px 0px; width: 100%; } .sticky-social { position: fixed; top: 20px; left: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; } .social { list-style: none; } .social a li { padding: 8px 12px; font-size: 25px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; } .social a li:hover { margin-right: -30px; box-shadow: 2px 5px 10px grey; } .social a li:hover .fa { margin-left: 20px; } .fb_b { /* background-color: rgb(59, 89, 152);*/ background-color: rgba(65,103,178,255); } .twitter_r { /* background-color: rgb(29, 161, 242);*/ background-color: #000000; } .whatsapp_r { /* background-color: rgb(77, 194, 71);*/ background-color: rgba(13,191,67,255); } .fa-envelope_r { /* background-color: rgb(219, 68, 55);*/ background-color: #e2123d; } .fa-linkedin_r { background-color: rgb(0, 119, 181); } @media only screen and (max-device-width: 767px) { p span img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } p img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } h2 { font-size: 20px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } h3 { font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } } /* === Film Roll Badge Styling(IFFI2025 countdown) === */ .film-roll-badge { position: absolute; top:82%; right: 20px; width: 230px; height: 70px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 18px, #6e2b8b 18px, #6e2b8b 36px ); border-top: 8px solid #9a2375; border-bottom: 8px solid #9a2375; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); animation: moveFilm 8s linear infinite; z-index: 10; } /* film sprocket holes */ .film-roll-badge::before, .film-roll-badge::after { content: ""; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 10px, #fff 10px, #fff 20px ); left: 0; z-index: 2; } .film-roll-badge::before { top: -4px; } .film-roll-badge::after { bottom: -4px; } .film-roll-inner { position: relative; height: 100%; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; animation: flicker 2s infinite ease-in-out; } .countdown-text { font-size: 1.3rem; font-weight: 700; color: #fff; text-shadow: 0 0 6px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 0 10px #000; white-space: nowrap; } /* === Animations === */ @keyframes moveFilm { 0% { background-position: 0 0; } 100% { background-position: 120px 0; } } @keyframes flicker { 0%, 100% { opacity: 1; } 50% { opacity: 0.9; } 25% { opacity: 0.95; } 75% { opacity: 0.85; } } /* === Responsive Adjustments === */ @media (max-width: 1500px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 68%; right: 18px; /* width: 220px; */ height: 65px; font-size: 0.85rem; } .press-section { margin-top: 35px; } } @media (max-width: 992px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 52%; right: 10px; width: 200px; height: 60px; } } @media (max-width: 768px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 56%; right: 10px; width: 124px; height: 55px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.9rem; } } @media (max-width: 576px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 59%; right: 5px; /* width: 160px; */ height: 50px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.85rem; } } const festivalStart = new Date("2025-11-20T00:00:00").getTime(); const festivalEnd = new Date("2025-11-28T23:59:59").getTime(); const countdownElement = document.getElementById("countdown"); const interval = setInterval(() => { const now = new Date().getTime(); // BEFORE FESTIVAL — show days + hours left if (now = festivalStart && now el.style.width = "350px"); clearInterval(interval); } }, 1000); //

Original PIB release
pib.gov.in · PRID 2250041

Open on PIB ↗

NHAI to Develop ‘NHAI Arogya Van’ - Thematic Medicinal Tree Plantations on Vacant Land Parcels Along National Highways

More from this day