NHAI To Create ‘Bee Corridors’ Along National Highways

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a pioneering initiative to create pollinator or “Bee Corridors” along national highways as part of its sustainable infrastructure programme. The project shifts roadside plantations from ornamental plants to ecologically beneficial vegetation.

Focus on Pollinator Conservation

The Bee Corridors will feature continuous stretches of nectar- and pollen-rich plants and flowering trees to ensure year-round food availability for honeybees and other pollinators.
The initiative aims to counter declining pollinator populations, which affect crop pollination, agricultural productivity, and ecological balance.

Key Features of the Corridors

• Mixed plantations of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses
• Inclusion of flowering weeds to support pollinators
• Retention of natural elements like dead wood and hollow trunks
• Plantation of species such as neem, karanj, mahua, palash, bottle brush, jamun, and siris
• Staggered flowering design for near-continuous blooming

The corridors will be developed based on agro-climatic suitability along selected highway stretches and vacant NHAI land parcels.

Targets for 2026–27

NHAI plans to:

• Develop at least three pollinator corridors during 2026–27
• Plant about 40 lakh trees along national highways, with nearly 60% under the Bee Corridor initiative