Plantation and restoration for infrastructure projects: what applies
Roads, rail, ports and airports clear land, and most approvals come with planting duties. The table lists the main ones we could source. State and city rules vary, so check locally.
| Rule |
What it asks |
How plantation helps |
Source |
| Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015 |
Avenue and median plantation on National Highways through an Annual Plantation Action Plan, per IRC:SP:21-2009; NHAI SOP since 2019 |
Yes: planting and multi-year care of avenue, median and spare-land blocks, with survival records |
PIB, 27 Nov 2024 |
| NHAI plantation monitoring (Harit Path) |
Geo-tagged plant data and photos every three months; contractors replace dead plants; payment linked to growth |
Yes: geo-tagged, photo-backed maintenance that matches the reporting format |
PIB, 21 Aug 2020 |
| City and state tree laws (example: Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994) |
Permission to fell; in Delhi, 10 saplings per tree felled, maintained 5-7 years |
Yes: replacement planting and care on agreed land; rules vary by state |
Delhi Forest Dept circular, 2023 |
| Delhi Tree Transplantation Policy (2020) |
Transplant at least 80% of affected trees; 80% survival benchmark after one year |
Partly: replacement planting where transplanting is not possible; aftercare records |
Outlook |
| Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, 2023 |
Major Ports: green belt above 20% of port area by 2030 and 33% by 2047; protect shore and mangrove habitats |
Yes: port green belts and mangrove restoration |
MoPSW |
| MISHTI mangrove programme |
About 540 sq km of mangrove restoration over five years from 2023-24, through convergence of schemes |
Yes: voluntary mangrove restoration with forest department approval |
PIB, 5 Feb 2024 |
Highways: survival is the contract
Under the Green Highways Policy, avenue and median planting is routine. NHAI tracks each plant on its Harit Path app and links growth to contractor payment.
Plan species, water and protection for every zone. Our highway plantation guide has a checklist.
Trees in the alignment
Metro, rail and road projects often need trees moved or replaced. Delhi data reported by Outlook showed only about one-third of transplanted trees survived over three years.
Decide tree by tree, and secure replacement land early. See our transplantation guide.
Ports and the coast
The Harit Sagar guidelines set green belt targets for Major Ports. Mangrove restoration, aligned with MISHTI, protects the shore near the asset. Read our mangrove guide for ports.
Records that stand up to audit
Authorities, lenders and auditors increasingly ask for proof, not plantation counts. Geo-tagged trees, dated photos and survival checks answer most questions.
Forest land diversion
Projects on forest land follow the compensatory afforestation route. See our CAMPA guide and the Green Credit Programme guide.
