New Delhi, 15th April 2024: Keeping its focus on building a robust and sustainable National
Highway network, NHAI organized a day long national workshop in New Delhi to discuss different
aspects of environmental impact assessment, planning and mitigation for holistic National
Highway development. Chief Guest for the event was Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, Ministry of
Road Transport and Highways. Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman NHAI along with Guest of
Honour Shri Jitendra Kumar, IFS, DGF&SS, MoEF&CC were also present on the occasion. The
event saw participation from senior officials of MoRTH, NHAI, NHIDCL, MoEF&CC, QQI-NABET,
DPR Consultants, Concessionaires, Authority Engineers, and Independent Engineers.
Various panel discussions with senior officials and industry experts were held during the
workshop which provided key insights into different aspects of development of environmentally
sustainable road infrastructure. The sessions included discussion on issues related to Wildlife
Clearances; Insights on ‘Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure on
Wildlife’; Issues related to Forest & Environment Clearances; Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA), Environmental Management Plan (EMP); Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Clearances,
Regulations and its applicability to Road Infrastructure Projects.
In his inaugural address, Chief Guest Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways said that “I am pleased that we have gathered here to deliberate various
possibilities and address challenges to pave way for greener and sustainable National Highway
development. I am sure after these knowledge sessions, we will have deeper understanding of
the forest and environment clearances & systems. It is also important for different departments
to have a collaborative approach using PM Gati Shakti framework to efficiently develop
sustainable National Highway infrastructure across the country.
Addressing the audience at the national conference, the Guest of Honour Shri Jitendra Kumar,
DGF&SS, MoEF&CC said, “We have to take steps towards expediting planning and proposal
process by improving inter-departmental collaboration and building a concrete roadmap for
inclusion of sustainable practices in the development of infrastructure projects.”
In his keynote address, Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman, NHAI said “We are committed to
develop sustainable and environmentally friendly National Highway network. Today, there is a
greater need to collaborate and include sustainable practices from the conceptualization of the
project at the DPR stage. Participation from various stakeholders in this workshop, will enrich
the quality of discussion and define the way forward towards a greener and more sustainable
National Highway infrastructure development.”
Sharing his observations in the concluding session, Shri Vishal Chauhan, Member
(Administration), NHAI thanked all the panelists for their active participation. He also emphasized
that ensuring environment sustainability is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders and
forward-looking discussions in today’s workshop has helped to push forward the agenda of
environment sustainably.
With a strong focus on environment sustainability, promoting economic growth, and expanding
the National Highway network, NHAI is paving way for a greener, more resilient, and inclusive
future. The national workshop strengthened this vison by providing key insights and identifying
areas for holistic development. The deliberations held at the day long workshop will go a long
way in adopting various sustainable practices for the construction of National Highways and
drive inclusive growth by enhancing the ecological footprint across the country.