NATIONAL HIGHWAY GREEN COVER INDEX REPORT
Why this news?
- National Highways Authority of India released the first Annual Report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI).
- The report measures how much green cover (plants and trees) exists along India’s national highways.
- It was prepared with help from National Remote Sensing Centre, which works under Indian Space Research Organisation.
WHAT IS NH GCI?
- National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) is a system used to measure the amount of vegetation along National Highways.
- Purpose
- To check how green the highways are.
- To track tree plantation and greenery along roads.
- To support environment-friendly highway development.
- In simple words, it tells how much area near highways is covered with plants and trees.
HOW THE GREEN COVER IS MEASURED?
- The measurement uses satellite technology.
Method
- Satellites detect chlorophyll in plants.
- Chlorophyll is the green pigment in leaves that helps plants do photosynthesis.
Using satellite sensors:
- Scientists detect the presence of vegetation.
- They calculate how much of the land has greenery.
The result is shown as a percentage value.
Example
- If NH-GCI = 40%, it means 40% of land along that highway area has green cover.
AREA COVERED IN THE FIRST REPORT
- In the first assessment:
- Around 30,000 km of National Highways were studied.
- The highways were located in 24 states of India.
- The data covers the period July–December 2024.
- Future reports will be released every year to track improvements in greenery.
WHAT IS RIGHT OF WAY?
- The index measures greenery within the Right of Way (RoW) of highways.
Right of Way (RoW) means:
- The official land area reserved for a highway.
- It includes:
- Road lanes
- Roadside land
- Space for utilities and plantations.
NH-GCI measures green cover on both sides of the highway within this area.
ROLE OF SPACE TECH
- The study uses advanced satellite-based monitoring.
- Benefits of this approach:
- Scientific and accurate measurement
- Large area coverage
- Cost-effective
- Time efficient
- Instead of manual surveys, satellites can quickly analyse thousands of kilometres of highways.
INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATION
- The initiative is based on a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2024 between:
- National Highways Authority of India
- National Remote Sensing Centre
- This collaboration combines:
- Highway infrastructure data
- Satellite remote sensing technology
WHY NH GCI IS IMPORTANT?
- The index will help the government to:
- Monitor plantation along highways
- Compare green cover between different highways
- Rank states and highway sections
- Identify areas where more tree plantation is needed
- This helps in better planning and management of green highways.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE
The initiative supports:
- Sustainable infrastructure development
- Reduction of air pollution
- Improvement in roadside ecosystems
- Creation of green corridors along highways
It reflects the government’s focus on environment-friendly transport infrastructure.
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