The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to enforce stricter rules on tree planting before giving final completion certificates to highway projects. The new guidelines, announced in September 2026, set binding targets for plantation coverage and plant survival that contractors must meet before projects can be formally handed over.
What the new rules require
Under these guidelines, NHAI will only issue a Provisional Certificate of Completion (PCC) or Provisional Commercial Operation Date (PCOD) if contractors have planted trees on at least 80 per cent of the designated land along the highway median and avenues. At the time of inspection, these planted saplings must show a survival rate of at least 90 per cent.
If a contractor falls short of the 80 per cent plantation target, NHAI will identify the shortfall and set a deadline for completion. Financial penalties specified in the contract will be applied and withheld until the remaining trees are planted and targets are fully met.
The rules also apply during the operations and maintenance phase of highways. NHAI will release maintenance payments only if contractors maintain a 90 per cent survival rate of planted trees throughout this period. When plants die, they must be replaced with saplings of similar age and size to maintain visual uniformity along the highway corridor.
Before approving maintenance payments or certifying that contractors are meeting plantation standards, NHAI will engage environmental and plantation specialists to verify compliance on the ground. These experts will confirm that plant survival targets are being met before any funds are released.
The guidelines follow the Green Highways Policy 2015 and other standards issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
What this means for you
Commuters and residents along national highways can expect better tree cover and greener road corridors as projects progress. Highway projects will now face actual consequences if they neglect plantation work, making environmental commitments binding rather than optional add-ons completed only after main construction finishes.