New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reaffirmed its commitment to building a robust and environmentally sustainable National Highway network by organizing a day-long national workshop in New Delhi. The event focused on discussing various aspects of environmental impact assessment, planning, and mitigation for holistic National Highway development.
The workshop, graced by esteemed dignitaries including Anurag Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman NHAI, saw participation from senior officials of various government departments, industry experts, and stakeholders from the infrastructure sector.
Panel discussions led by senior officials and industry experts shed light on critical issues related to environmentally sustainable road infrastructure development. Topics ranged from wildlife clearances and eco-friendly measures to mitigate impacts on wildlife to forest and environment clearances, environmental impact assessment, and coastal regulation zone clearances.
In his inaugural address, Anurag Jain emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts and the integration of sustainable practices into the development process. He highlighted the need for a collaborative approach leveraging the PM Gati Shakti framework to efficiently develop sustainable National Highway infrastructure across the country.
Guest of Honour Jitendra Kumar stressed the importance of expediting planning processes and enhancing inter-departmental collaboration to incorporate sustainable practices effectively.
Chairman of NHAI, Santosh Kumar Yadav, reiterated NHAI’s commitment to developing environmentally friendly National Highway infrastructure. He emphasized the need for stakeholder collaboration and the inclusion of sustainable practices from the project’s conceptualization stage.
The workshop concluded with valuable insights shared by Vishal Chauhan, Member (Administration), NHAI. He expressed gratitude to all participants and highlighted the collective responsibility of stakeholders in ensuring environmental sustainability.
The deliberations at the workshop underscore NHAI’s vision of promoting economic growth while prioritizing environmental sustainability. By fostering discussions and identifying areas for holistic development, NHAI aims to adopt sustainable practices for National Highway construction, driving inclusive growth and enhancing ecological resilience nationwide.