Bee Corridors: NHAI’s Pollinator-Friendly Highway Plan
Why in the news
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced plans for India’s first Bee Corridors, a pollinator highway initiative that uses roadside plantation to help bees and other pollinators.
Key facts
- Agency: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
- Concept: linear belts of pollinator-friendly vegetation along highways, using flowering plants and trees that supply nectar and pollen all year.
- Who benefits: honeybees and other pollinators important to agriculture and biodiversity.
Design features
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plant choice | Native nectar-rich species: neem, karanj, mahua, palash, jamun, siris |
| Bloom timing | Staggered; species flower in different seasons for a continuous food supply |
| Spacing | Flowering clusters every 500 m to 1 km, matched to average bee foraging range |
Aims
- Lower ecological stress on pollinators.
- Keep nectar available without breaks.
- Improve farm productivity and ecological balance.
- Encourage climate-sensitive plantation planning on highways.
Exam angle
- Called India’s first pollinator highway initiative; implemented by NHAI.
- Spacing of flowering clusters: every 500 m to 1 km.