NATIONAL Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop pollinator or bee corridors along National Highways in the country. Marking a shift from ornamental to ecological plantations, the ‘Bee Corridor’ will have a continuous linear stretch of bee-friendly vegetation comprising flowering trees and plants that will ensure the availability of nectar and pollen throughout the year. Plantations along National Highways present a unique opportunity to support pollinator conservation.

 

The initiative will help reduce the increasing ecological stress faced by honeybees and other pollinators, which is adversely impacting pollination services, agricultural and horticultural productivity, and overall ecological balance. NHAI will align its plantation activities towards the creation of dedicated pollinator or ‘Bee Corridors’. The unique initiative will include a mix of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grass that will retain wild elements by planting nectar and pollen-rich species, allowing flowering weeds to bloom, along with dead wood and hollow trunks that are beneficial to pollinators. Selection of plant species will ensure staggered flowering across different seasons to maintain a near-continuous blooming cycle throughout the year.

 

Native species of trees and plants, including Neem, Karanj, Mahua, Palash, Bottle Brush, Jamun, and Siris, will be planted along National Highways. Depending upon agro-climatic conditions and local suitability, such corridors will be developed along National Highway stretches and other vacant NHAI land parcels. NHAI field offices across the country will identify National Highway sections where clusters of flowering trees can be planted at intervals of approximately 500 metres to 1 km, corresponding to the average foraging distance of honeybees and wild bees. NHAI field offices will also plan and develop at least three pollinator corridors during 2026–27. NHAI plans to plant around 40 lakh trees along National Highways during the year 2026–27, around 60 per cent of which will be planted under the ‘Bee Corridor’ initiative.