Two national highway stretches poised to become greener

Two national highway stretches have been identified for planting seedlings of different tree species to enhance green cover and reduce the impact of air pollution.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the State Forest Department will be involved in this project. The stretches from Thuvakudi to Mathur near Tiruchi and the other from Viralimalai to Thuvarankurichi along the Tiruchi-Madurai national highway section have been identified for planting taller seedlings on either side of the carriageways.

The NHAI, which is to fund the green project, has entrusted the task of raising the seedlings and planting them along the highway stretches to the Forest Department in Tiruchi. The plan is to raise around 25,000 seedlings at the Forest Department’s nurseries functioning on the outskirts of Tiruchi and near Thuvarankurichi. Preliminary work for raising the seedlings had commenced at the two nurseries, a field-level official of the Forest Department said. 

Seedlings of vembu, pungan, nelli, naaval and illupai are proposed to be raised at the nurseries for planting them along both sides of the chosen highway stretches, the official said and added that the planting would commence in the second half of next year. The objective behind this project was to enhance green cover and reduce the impact of air pollution and carbon emissions, the official said. About 8,000 seedlings are proposed to be planted along the Thuvakudi-Mathur stretch and the remaining 17,000 seedlings along the Viralimalai-Thuvarankurichi section.

A senior NHAI official said the task of raising and planting the seedlings had been entrusted with the Forest Department for better management and ensure survival of the seedlings. The seedlings once planted would be fenced to protect from grazing animals, the Forest Department official said. The tree cover along the highways would provide much-needed shade during the hot summer season.

Several trees, including those bearing fruits, were axed for road-widening work in Tiruchi district and elsewhere over the years resulting in loss of habitations, especially for monkeys. This was one of the reasons for monkeys entering residential localities in various parts of the district in search of food for their survival, according to Forest Department officials.