India’s Rural Development Ministry has decided to try to tackle two problems at the same time: Youth unemployment and bad air quality.
It has unveiled a plan to hire youths – potentially up to 300,000 – to plant 2 billion trees along the country’s highways.
“The length of National Highways in the country is one lakh kilometer [about 62,137 miles]. I have asked officials to come out with a plan to plant 200 crore [2 billion] trees along these stretches which in turn would create jobs for the unemployed on the one hand and protect the environment on the other,” said Shipping and Rural Development Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari.
Not only would this help provide jobs to a segment of the population that needs them and make the country more beautiful, but trees are also great at improving air quality.