NHAI to Develop India’s First Bee Corridors – Boosting Pollination and Sustainable Highway Infrastructure

Context

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, announced the development of the country’s first-ever ‘Bee Corridors’ along National Highways.

About Bee Corridors

• Bee Corridors are continuous, linear stretches of bee-friendly vegetation planted along highway medians and roadsides.
• Composition: These corridors consist of a strategic mix of flowering trees, shrubs, medicinal plants, and various grasses.
• Objective: To ensure the year-round availability of nectar and pollen, providing a safe habitat and migratory path for honeybees and other pollinators (butterflies, birds, etc.).
• Target: NHAI plans to establish at least 3 pollination corridors and plant 40 lakh saplings during 2026-27, with 60% of these falling under the Bee Corridor project.
• This initiative aligns with the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015, which mandates that 1% of the total project cost of any highway be set aside for plantation.
• Ecological and Economic significance
  • Boosting Agriculture: Bees are responsible for pollinating approximately one-third of the world’s food crops. Improved pollination in fields adjacent to highways will directly increase the yield of oilseeds, pulses, fruits, and vegetables.
  • Combating Ecological Stress: Pollinators are currently facing “ecological stress” due to habitat loss and pesticide use. These corridors act as “refuges” for these insects.
  • Soil Health: The diverse root systems of the corridor plants help prevent soil erosion along highway embankments.

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