KOLKATA: ITC Ltd is partnering with the National Highway Authority of India ( NHAI ) to develop eco-friendly national highways by spearheading an extensive tree plantation initiative along the highways in the country.NHAI has constituted the National Green Highway Mission (NGHM) to facilitate the plantation activity in a focused manner, in alignment with the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy 2015 launched by the government.To pursue the objectives of the NGHM, ITC’s paperboards and specialty papers division will develop a project for tree plantation, focused on productive as well as conservation attributes, on the available stretches of national highways located in Andhra Pradesh.Two stretches have been identified for the pilot phase, with a total NH length of about 264 Kilometers. The first stretch on NH 40 from Kurnool to Kadappa is of 114 Kilometer, with an estimated plantable area of 100 hectares, while the second stretch on NH 44 from Hyderabad to Bengaluru is of 149 km, with an estimated plantable area of another 100 hectares.“ITC’s experience in greening over 243,000 hectares will enable us to contribute meaningfully to this project. This collaboration will significantly augment the country’s green cover, besides creating sustainable livelihoods for rural and marginalised communities,” said Sanjay Singh, divisional chief executive at ITC’s paperboards and specialty papers division.As per the agreement signed with NHAI, user rights for plantations, management and sustainable harvesting for the identified stretches of national highway road side land will be provided to ITC for 20 years.