NHAI Announces Winners of the ‘Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026’
In order to encourage and promote healthy plantation practices along the National Highways, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) instituted the ‘Green Highways Excellence Awards’ to recognize best practices in National Highway landscaping & plantation management.
Purpose of the Awards
- Promote sustainable plantation practices along National Highways.
- Recognize excellence in landscaping and plantation management.
- Categories: Avenue Plantations, Median Plantations, Plantation in Land Parcels. .
Category I: Avenue Plantations
- 1st Prize: Six Laning of Chilakaluripet Bypass, NH-16 (Andhra Pradesh, RO-Vijayawada).
- 2nd Prize: Vadodara–Kim Expressway, Padra to Vadodara Section (Gujarat, RO-Gandhinagar).
- 3rd Prize: Gagariya–Bakhasar (NH-925) & Satta–Gandhav (NH-925A) (RO-Jaipur).
- Consolation: Trichy–Karaikudi section (NH-210, NH-336, NH-36 & NH-536), including Trichy Bypass (RO-Madurai). .
Category II: Median Plantations
- 1st Prize: Hyderabad–Yadgiri section, NH-163 (RO-Hyderabad).
- 2nd Prize: Vadodara–Kim Expressway, Sanpa to Padra Section (Gujarat, RO-Gandhinagar).
- 3rd Prize: Varanasi Ring Road, Harahua to Sandaha section, NH-31 (RO-UP East, Varanasi). .
Category III: Plantation in Land Parcels
- 1st Prize: Jamtha Clover Leaf, Oxygen Bird Park, NH-44 (RO-Nagpur).
- 2nd Prize: Duhai Interchange, ToT Bundle-7 (RO-Delhi).
- 3rd Prize: Lucknow–Ayodhya Road & Lucknow Outer Ring Road Intersection, Miyawaki Plantation (RO-UP West, Lucknow). .
Participation & Evaluation
86 nominations received:
- 27 for Avenue Plantations
- 36 for Median Plantations
- 23 for Land Parcels
Evaluation criteria:
- Survival rate of plantations (highest weightage).
- Site-specific action plans, species diversity, native species use.
- Quality, sustainability, and potential for replication. .
Broader Context
- Awards instituted in 2025, aligned with the Green Highways Policy, 2015.
- Reinforces NHAI’s commitment to environmental sustainability in highway development.
This initiative is a strong example of how infrastructure projects can integrate ecological responsibility into their core design.
