New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday said it has tightened plantation compliance requirements for national highway projects, linking provisional completion certification and maintenance payments to prescribed plantation and sapling survival targets.

Under revised guidelines, contractors will have to plant on at least 80% of the available right of way (ROW) earmarked for plantation and maintain a minimum 90% survival rate at the time of inspection. The guidelines require median and avenue plantation to be carried out in accordance with the relevant contract or concession agreement, the Green Highways Policy of 2015, corresponding Indian Road Congress specifications, and other guidelines issued...