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.