New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India has announced a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop BeeCorridors along National Highways, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable infrastructure development.
Through the BeeCorridors initiative, NHAI aims to create continuous linear stretches of bee-friendly vegetation, marking a strategic shift from ornamental plantations to ecological landscaping across highway stretches.
The proposed BeeCorridors will comprise flowering trees and plants designed to ensure the availability of nectar and pollen throughout the year.
NHAI stated that plantations along National Highways present a unique opportunity to support pollinator conservation.
The initiative seeks to reduce the increasing ecological stress faced by honeybees and other pollinators, which has been adversely impacting pollination services, agricultural and horticultural productivity, and overall ecological balance.
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BeeCorridors: Staggered Flowering Across Seasons
Under the BeeCorridors programme, NHAI will align its plantation activities to establish dedicated pollinator corridors across suitable National Highway stretches.
The initiative will include a mix of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses. These plantations will retain wild elements by incorporating nectar- and pollen-rich species, allowing flowering weeds to bloom, and preserving dead wood and hollow trunks that are beneficial to pollinators.
The design of the BeeCorridors will ensure staggered flowering across seasons to maintain a near-continuous blooming cycle throughout the year.
Native species of trees and plants such as Neem, Karanj, Mahua, Palash, Bottle Brush, Jamun, and Siris will be planted along National Highways to strengthen ecological compatibility and resilience.
Depending on agro-climatic conditions and local suitability, the BeeCorridors will be developed along National Highway stretches as well as other vacant land parcels under NHAI’s jurisdiction.
Field offices across the country will identify sections where clusters of flowering trees can be planted at intervals of approximately 500 metres to 1 kilometre.
This distance corresponds to the average foraging range of honeybees and wild bees, ensuring functional ecological connectivity under the BeeCorridors initiative.
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As part of its roadmap for 2026–27, NHAI field offices will plan and develop at least three pollinator corridors.
NHAI has also announced plans to plant around 40 lakh trees along National Highways during 2026–27, with nearly 60 percent of these plantations to be undertaken under the BeeCorridors initiative.
The BeeCorridors initiative is expected to enhance ecological outcomes, contribute significantly to pollinator conservation, and further strengthen NHAI’s commitment to environmentally responsible National Highway development across India.
