Patna: The Patna High Court has sought responses from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Bihar government on the status of tree plantation along National Highways, expressways and state highways in the state.
Hearing a public interest petition, the court directed both authorities to submit a detailed report within two weeks, explaining the measures being taken to curb pollution caused by vehicular traffic through roadside plantation.
Court Questions Lack Of Green Cover
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Rajesh Kumar Verma was hearing a petition filed by an advocate raising concerns over the absence of trees along major highways in Bihar.
During the hearing, the court was informed that Bihar has 6,147 kilometres of National Highways. It was also told that 2,515 kilometres of roads across 38 state highways are currently being upgraded into National Highways.
According to the submissions before the court, the NHAI maintains 3,189 kilometres of National Highways, while the state government is responsible for 2,589 kilometres. The petitioner argued that many of these highways lack roadside trees and called for large-scale plantation to help reduce pollution from increasing vehicular traffic.
NHAI Cites Ongoing Plantation Drive
Appearing for the NHAI, advocate Maurya Vijay Chandra told the court that the authority had already initiated tree plantation along several National Highways in Bihar and that the work was progressing.
State Points To Pending Communication
Representing the Bihar government, Prabhakar Jha informed the court that the state’s Forest Department had repeatedly written to the NHAI regarding tree plantation along the Patna–Gaya–Dobhi National Highway.
According to the state, however, the NHAI has not yet responded to those communications.
Taking note of the submissions, the High Court directed both the NHAI and the state government to file a comprehensive report detailing the action taken and future plans for roadside plantation along highways across Bihar.
