NHAI to promote biodiversity through Odisha's 'Bee Corridor'

The National Highways Authority of India is launching Odisha's first 'Bee Corridor' project, planting 20,000 flowering plants along highways to support honeybees and pollinators.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to launch Odisha's first-ever 'Bee Corridor' project with the beginning of the monsoon season in June, an official statement said.

Under this initiative, nearly 20,000 flowering plants will be planted along highways passing through Sambalpur, Ganjam and Dhenkanal districts, it said.

The project will include the plantation of neem, karanj, arjun, kadamba, jamun, tamarind and kanchan trees in a continuous green belt that will bloom throughout the year.

''These plants will help create a better environment for honeybees and other pollinators,'' an official said, adding that this was part of NHAI's efforts for environmentally responsible highway development, to create continuous belts of bee-friendly vegetation.

This marks a significant shift from traditional ornamental roadside plantations to ecologically functional landscapes designed to support biodiversity and pollinator conservation, the official said, adding that the main aim of the bee corridor will be to promote biodiversity, support honeybee conservation and improve the natural beauty of highways.

He said the plantation drive will also help reduce pollution and make highways greener and more eco-friendly.

For the purpose, the NHAI has identified specific sections like Talcher-Kamakhyanagar and Kamakhyanagar-Duburi sections of NH-53, Angul-Sambalpur section of NH-55 and Puintola-Ichhapuram section of NH-16.

Apart from flowering tree clusters, additional species like mahua, palash, bottle brush, and siris are also part of the national initiative, he said.