Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026
Why in News?
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced the winners of the Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026 on 3 September 2026, recognising outstanding plantation and green-management practices along National Highways.
Objective & Background
- Purpose: To encourage healthy plantation practices, reward best landscaping management, and lower the carbon footprint of highway development.
- Origin: The award was instituted in 2025 by NHAI, aligning with the mandates of the Green Highways Policy, 2015.
- Who could participate: Entries were open to NHAI field offices, contractors, concessionaires, government bodies, NGOs, and private plantation agencies.
Evaluation & Nomination Process
- The Turnout: NHAI received 86 nominations from across India via its online portal (27 for Avenue, 36 for Median, and 23 for Land Parcels).
- Screening: 15 total nominations (5 per category) were shortlisted for the final round.
- Criteria: Evaluation relied on a 100-mark assessment framework where the survival rate of plantations held the highest weightage. Other factors included species diversity, use of native species, pit sizes, and quality of planting material.
Award Categories & Winners
The awards are divided into three distinct structural categories:
1. Category I: Avenue Plantations
The awards are divided into three distinct structural categories:
1. Category I: Avenue Plantations
- First Prize: Six-Laning of Chilakaluripet Bypass on NH-16 in Andhra Pradesh (RO-Vijayawada).
- Second Prize: Eight-Lane Vadodara–Kim Expressway (Padra-Vadodara section) in Gujarat.
- Third Prize: Gagariya–Bakhasar section (NH-925) and Satta–Gandhav section (NH-925A) in Rajasthan.
- Consolation Prize: Trichy–Karaikudi section of NH-210 (including Trichy Bypass) in Tamil Nadu.
2. Category II: Median Plantations
- First Prize: Hyderabad–Yadgiri section of NH-163 (Annojiguda to Raigiri) in Telangana, managed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
- Second Prize: Sanpa–Padra section of the Vadodara–Kim Expressway in Gujarat.
- Third Prize: Varanasi Ring Road Package-I, Phase-I on NH-31 in Uttar Pradesh.
3. Category III: Plantation in Land Parcels
- (This includes specialized greening spaces like clover leaves, interchanges, toll plazas, highway service areas, Loop areas and oxygen parks, etc.).
