Umaisar Gull Ganie
Banihal/Qazigund, Nov 07 : To enhance aesthetics and promote aroma tourism, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started lavender plantation along a 16-kilometre stretch of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway between Banihal and Qazigund.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Shubham Yadav, Project Director NHAI said the initiative aims to combine environment-friendly beautification with livelihood generation.
“The primary purpose of introducing lavender cultivation along national highways is to promote environmental beautification and aroma tourism, while also providing benefits to local farmers,” he said.
Yadav said that a substantial land stretch has been identified and planted. “A total of 200 kanals of land, as per the MoU with CSIR–IIIM (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine), has been brought under lavender cultivation along the 16.26-km Banihal–Qazigund section,” he added.
Highlighting the impact of the project, he said lavender plantations will significantly improve highway aesthetics and boost tourism. “Lavender fields, with their striking purple-blue hues, create a stunning landscape. During the blooming season, the stretch will turn into a scenic corridor. Beautifully landscaped highways reflect good governance and environmental awareness, leaving a lasting impression on visitors.”
On the progress made so far, Yadav said, “A total of 23,000 lavender plants have been cultivated at the North Portal and 29,000 plants at the South Portal.”—(KNO)
