National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26

The National Highways Authority of India has released the first Annual Report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26 to provide a quantitative assessment of plantations and green cover along National Highways.

• The report has been prepared in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre under the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Objective

• To provide a scientific and technology-driven assessment of vegetation cover within the Right of Way (RoW) of National Highways.
• The initiative uses advanced satellite-based remote sensing technologies for monitoring and evaluation.

Methodology

• The green cover assessment is based on chlorophyll content detection using high-resolution satellite sensors.
• The NH-GCI value is expressed as a percentage, representing the proportion of green cover within the RoW along National Highways.
• The index provides granular measurement at a one-kilometre interval along highways.

Coverage of First Assessment

• The first assessment cycle covers about 30,000 km of National Highways across 24 States.
• The data pertains to the period July–December 2024.

Institutional Framework

• The initiative is being implemented under a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2024 between NHAI and NRSC.

Source: PIB