New Delhi : The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has tightened compliance requirements for plantation and landscaping along national highways, making these works an integral part of project completion. Under the revised guidelines, plantation along highway medians and avenues must be carried out in accordance with the respective contract or concession agreement, the Green Highways Policy, 2015, IRC:SP:21-2009 and other guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and NHAI.
80% plantation required for provisional completion
A key change is the introduction of a minimum plantation threshold for issuance of the Provisional Certificate of Completion (PCC) or Provisional Commercial Operation Date (PCOD).
NHAI has specified that plantation works will be considered compliant for provisional completion only when:
- Plantation has been completed on at least 80% of the available Right of Way (ROW) earmarked for plantation.
- The planted saplings have a minimum 90% survival rate at the time of inspection.
Any plantation shortfall beyond the 80% requirement will have to be clearly recorded along with a specific timeline for completing the remaining work. NHAI will also enforce appropriate financial withholdings under the applicable contract or concession agreement until the pending plantation is completed and the prescribed target is achieved.
90% survival rate mandatory during O&M period
The authority has also strengthened plantation maintenance requirements during the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) period. For EPC, Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and BOT Annuity projects, the release of O&M or annuity payments will be linked to maintaining a minimum 90% survival rate throughout the O&M period. Maintenance compliance in BOT-Toll projects will also be assessed against this requirement.
The guidelines require contractors to replace dead or damaged plants in a timely manner. Replacement plantation must use plants of similar age and growth to maintain uniformity and continuity of greenery along highway corridors.
Experts to verify plantation compliance
Before processing O&M or annuity payments or certifying maintenance compliance, NHAI will seek technical assistance from environment and plantation experts engaged by the authority. The experts will verify field-level compliance and assess whether the prescribed plant survival standards are being maintained.
NHAI said it had earlier observed that plantation along highway medians and avenues, despite being a contractual obligation, was often not given adequate importance while issuing PCC or PCOD.
The revised guidelines are aimed at ensuring that plantation is treated as a core component of national highway development rather than a peripheral activity. The move also seeks to strengthen environmental sustainability and long-term plantation management along national highway corridors.