Chhattisgarh’s national highways are becoming green corridors: NHAI planted 2.71 lakh trees this year.

National Highways Authority of India has set a new record by planting more than 271,000 trees along the roadsides and dividers of national highways in Chhattisgarh this year-Photo Credit -CG/PR

In Short

*Planting trees along roadsides and dividers under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign.

*National Highways in Chhattisgarh: A path to progress, along with a green canopy – Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai

Raipur: While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is building a network of roads across the country, it is also creating green corridors by planting trees along highways and dividers. Under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign, the National Highways Authority of India has set a new record by planting more than 271,000 trees along the roadsides and dividers of national highways in Chhattisgarh this year. Along with expanding national highways, the authority is also transforming them into “green corridors.”

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Friday September 19, 2025 that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign is giving Chhattisgarh a new direction for greenery, cleanliness, and environmental protection. The planting of over 271,000 trees on national highways is an evidence of that road construction is not only the foundation of development, but also a pledge for clean air and a green life for future generations.

National highways in Chhattisgarh are providing citizens with a path to progress, as well as the shade of greenery. He stated that this Green Corridor initiative will establish Chhattisgarh among the leading states in the country not only in transportation convenience but also in environmental balance.

It is worth mentioning that the National Highways Authority of India has exceeded the target set this year for planting trees on Chhattisgarh’s national highways under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0” campaign.

The Raipur-Visakhapatnam (NH-130CD) project has seen the highest number of plantings, with 97,145 trees-Photo Credit -CG/PR

The Raipur-Visakhapatnam (NH-130CD) project has seen the highest number of plantings, with 97,145 trees. Following this, 46,141 saplings were planted along the Maharashtra border-Durg-Raipur-Odisha border (NH-53), 23,020 saplings along the Champa-Korba-Katghora (NH-149B) route, 16,847 saplings along the Bilaspur-Katghora (NH-130) route, 14,400 saplings along the Bilaspur-Urga-Pathalgaon (NH-130A) route, and 5,406 saplings along the Simga-Raipur-Dhamtari (NH-30) project.

Saplings have been planted as median plantations on the dividers of national highways, while avenue plantations have been planted along the edges. These include a large number of large fruit-bearing and shady trees. Along with planting in new areas, replanting has also been done at 68,297 locations to replace saplings damaged in previous years. Thus, in the current financial year 2025-26 (till September 15, 2025), a total of 271,253 trees have been planted on national highways.

Pradeep Kumar Lal, Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India, Raipur, said that ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ is not just a tree plantation campaign, but an investment in future generations. Our aim is not just to build roads, but also to create a healthy and beautiful environment. He informed that 2,02,959 new trees have been planted this year on various national highways in Chhattisgarh, while replanting has been done at 68,297 places.

Thus, a total of 271,253 trees have been planted on national highways in Chhattisgarh this year (2025-26).