HMDA to enhance National Highways in Telangana with lush green cover

National Highways running through Telangana are getting lined up with them to acquire a green and aesthetic hue

Hyderabad: Bright flowers and lush greenery are not merely restricted to city parks but even the National Highways running through Telangana are getting lined up with them to acquire a green and aesthetic hue.

As part of an initiative taken up by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), the look of highways is changing fast with greenery enhancing the aesthetics and at the same time contributing to the State’s green cover.

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These works on the 64 km long Warangal Highway (NH-163) taken up with Rs.15.04 crore and for the 33 km Nanded Highway with a budget of Rs. 3.57 crore, have redefined the driving experience along the highways. In addition to developing lush greenery and flower-yielding plants along highways, the central medians have also been developed, further making the commute pleasant.

The 8 km central median along Srisailam Highway (NH-765), the 25 km central median greenery along Kurnool Highway (NH-44), and 39 km along Rajiv Road State Highway (SH-1) are some other stretches being greened. At all these places the HMDA also took up multi-layer plantations.

The greenery on highways is being developed on the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, said HMDA in a press release. Ahead of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Yadagirigutta inauguration, the State government appealed to the Center to cooperate in the enhancement of greenery along the Warangal National Highway.

After the request failed to evince any response, the Chief Minister instructed the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister KT Rama Rao to develop greenery on highways with State government funds.

Following this, the HMDA has taken up the works and these environmental conservation measures are being lauded nationally and internationally.

While the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has previously studied the HMDA works related to improving the green cover, a student from the University of Berlin has done research on HMDA multi-layer plantation.

It’s not only the highways, due to the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram initiative, the green cover on Outer Ring Road has also increased considerably, said HMDA in a press release.