The Price of Road Infrastructure on the Environment
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) arranged a one-day national workshop in New Delhi to address all facets of environmental impact assessment, planning, and mitigation for comprehensive national highway construction, with an emphasis on creating a strong and sustainable national highway network.
Connectivity and Forest Preservation in Balance
Road Extension's Effect on Forests: India's woods have been significantly impacted by the country's vast road network, which spans more than 6,600,000 kilometers. India is one of the 17 "megadiverse countries," a country rich in biodiversity that is home to four global biodiversity hotspots and whose woods sustain 7-8 percent of all known animal species. In addition, they are essential for managing groundwater levels, preventing disasters, sequestering carbon, and improving soil fertility. But the growing road infrastructure poses a threat to this priceless resource.
Forests Provide: Forests are essential for a variety of ecosystem functions. They fix nitrogen in the soil, store carbon, and provide habitat for a wide variety of organisms. In steep areas, forests also serve as natural barriers against landslides and serve as natural buffers against floods and droughts. These services are better provided by larger, continuous forest areas than by smaller, fragmented portions.
India's Road Infrastructure
Road Network: As of January 2024, India had the second-largest road network in the world, covering over 66.71 lakh km. China has 3.6 km of roads per 1,000 people, while the US has almost 20 km. India has 5.13 km of roads per 1,000 people.
Road Groups:
Highways National: 1,46,145 km
State Routes: 1,79,535 kilometers
Roads Not Listed: 63,45,403 km
The density of roads varies by area. With over 22.6 thousand km per 1,000 sq. km in 2019, Chandigarh had the highest road density among the states, whereas Kerala came in first with 6.7 thousand km per 1,000 sq. km.
Budget Allocation: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) benefited from a 25% rise in the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' budget last year, which brought it to ₹1.68 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024–25.Budget Allocation: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) benefited from a 25% rise in the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' budget last year, which brought it to ₹1.68 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024–25.
Building dynamism: India plans to build up to 13,000 km of new roads by March 2025, with an annual growth rate of 5–8%.
Creation of Jobs: A 10% increase in road infrastructure might directly and indirectly create 4.3% more jobs.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Under the automatic route, 100% FDI is allowed in roads and highways.
Mobility: Accessibility, safety, and environmental effect are impacted by road design and management. In India, more than 60% of freight and 87% of passenger traffic is handled by road.
Achievements: The Atal Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world, and the Chenab Bridge, the tallest railway bridge in the world, are noteworthy infrastructure landmarks.
The Effects of Transportation Infrastructure
Forest Ecosystem Fragmentation: When roads are built, they leave behind linear gaps that divide woods into smaller areas. By hurting species that avoid roads and upsetting migratory patterns, this fragmentation lowers biodiversity and degrades the health of the forest. Larger animals with longer migration paths are more vulnerable to accidents and poaching at road crossings, which further upsets the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
Pollution: A variety of contaminants are introduced by roads, endangering wildlife. Deicing salts can change behavior and decrease survival rates in amphibians, while tire debris can affect their growth. Chemicals and oils used in cars can be hazardous to the environment. In addition, roads promote the spread of invasive species and interfere with wildlife behavior and navigation through light and noise pollution.
Carbon Emissions: The construction of roads and highways is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, which hastens the process of climate change. Road transportation accounts for the lion's share of the transportation sector's 14% global emissions. Additionally, vehicle emissions worsen air quality, which increases the risk of respiratory disorders, heart disease, and almost 4.2 million fatalities per year.
Deforestation: Building roads and highways frequently results in deforestation, which reduces biodiversity and causes habitat loss. Pollination, temperature regulation, access to clean water and air, and other ecosystem services are all hampered by this damage. The benefits that natural ecosystems bring to human health and well-being are diminished when these services are lost.
Reducing Environmental Damage
A Staged Method for Building Road Infrastructure
Phase of Planning: Give priority to road routes that steer clear of extensive areas of forest. If avoidance is not practical, carry out a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis that takes the economy and environmental harm into account. In the event that roads must cross through trees, take conservation measures. Create routes with characteristics like additional drainage systems and culverts for water flow to minimize interference with natural cycles.
Phase of construction: Reduce the amount of environmental harm that occurs by following strict deadlines and waste management guidelines. Make sure mitigation measures are given top priority, and keep a close eye out for any possible confrontations between people and wildlife on the road network.
Post-Construction Analysis: Actively survey animal pathways following construction to find and fix conflict or disturbance points. Building in wildlife areas is still dangerous even with strict regulations, thus expanding the current road networks is a better option to minimize ecological damage.
Best Practices and Case Studies
Illustrations of Successful Mitigation
Hoolongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary: To protect the Western Hoolock Gibbon, an iron canopy bridge was built in Assam over a railway track. The gibbons, however, liked a bridge made of trees that produced a natural canopy. This emphasizes how crucial it is to modify solutions to meet the unique requirements of the environment.
The gibbons at Borajan Podumoni Sanctuary made it evident that they preferred a bamboo pole bridge, highlighting the need for customized, situation-specific solutions.
Teachings from Historical Case Studies
The American Dust Bowl as a Warning: An historical illustration of the effects of careless land usage and ecological devastation is the US Dust Bowl. India needs to take note of this in order to steer clear of similar traps and strike a balance between environmental preservation and infrastructure development.
In summary
India has made great progress in building roads, which has aided in social and economic advancement. The nation faces the difficulty of striking a balance between road construction and forest preservation given that its road network is currently the second largest in the world. India has the potential to become a global leader in the integration of road connectivity and environmental preservation, showcasing the coexistence of development and conservation through the adoption of sustainable practices and inventive solutions.