Gadkari: Vehicular Pollution Reduction a Top Priority

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said it is foremost responsibility of all stakeholders to reduce pollution due to fossil fuels consumed by vehicles on the roads.

Speaking at an event organised by NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) here, Gadkari said promoting the use of alternative fuels like ethanol and undertaking large-scale plantation drives are the most effective solutions to reduce the pollution, and the government is actively pursuing both.

For environment sustainability, the road transport and highways minister said the government is also effectively utilising waste in road construction and has used around 80 lakh tonnes of waste in road construction.

"We are also prioritising water conservation by adopting measures like rainwater harvesting on our highways," he added.

An official statement said NHAI has been focusing on creating green corridors by undertaking bamboo plantation, dense plantation and vertical landscaping.

The vision is to saturate plantations along the National Highways collectively by involving various stakeholders to create a green and sustainable National Highway network, it added.

According to an statement, NHAI planted around 67 lakh trees as against the target of 60 lakh plantations during 2024-25.