GUWAHATI: Assam is ranked fifth from the bottom out of 22 states in terms of plantation activities along NHs from 2015–16 to November 15, 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). There has been little plantation activity along the state's National Highways (NHs), indicating that Assam's implementation of the Green Highways Policy 2015 has been inadequate.
The goal of the 2015 Green Highways Policy (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) was to establish a framework for policy on the planting of trees along NHs. Its goals include lowering the impact of noise pollution from increased vehicle traffic, improving the general aesthetics of roadways, and reducing dust and air pollution by employing trees and shrubs as natural air pollutant sinks.
Assam planted 7.98 lakh saplings along its NHs' medians and avenues during this time. Assam outperformed just four states. Notably, 2.24 lakh saplings were planted in Kerala, 3.61 lakh in Himachal Pradesh, 3.82 lakh in Jammu & Kashmir and 7.06 lakh in Uttarakhand.
However, with 50.67 lakh saplings planted in the same time frame, Rajasthan was the best performer. With 43.53 lakh saplings, Madhya Pradesh came in second, and Uttar Pradesh came in third with 40.22 lakh.
The numbers show a stark lack of replanting efforts in Assam, despite the state's multiple ongoing road building projects that have led to the cutting down of many trees. Concerns regarding the environmental effects of these development projects are raised by the fact that the number of trees planted does not equal the number of trees felled.
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