Bhubaneswar, May 19 -- Moving away from purely ornamental roadside landscaping, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is shifting towards ecological conservation along its networks. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that a decline in pollinator populations risks harming agricultural and horticultural yields, alongside the wider ecological balance.

To counter this stress on pollinating species and protect honeybees, the NHAI regional office in Odisha has announced plans to develop the state's inaugural 'bee corridor', as reported by the Times Of India.

The environmental initiative will establish nearly 20,000 flowering plantations along designated national highway stretches within the Ganjam, Dhenkanal, and Sam...