A total of 59 major deficiencies in national highway construction, including instances of cave-ins, have been reported across the country since 2019-20, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In response to a query regarding the expansion and quality maintenance of national highways, Gadkari stated that every effort is made to ensure that National Highways (NHs) adhere to stipulated quality standards.
States with the Most Deficiencies
According to data presented by the minister, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of deficiencies at 16, followed by Rajasthan with 11 and Uttar Pradesh with 7 cases.
Penalties and Actions Taken
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) imposed fines and penalties on contractors responsible for defects. The highest penalty amounted to ₹11.79 crore, encashed from a bank guarantee for non-rectification of defects in the four-laning of the Kutchery Chowk to Bijupara Section of NH-75 in Jharkhand.
Another major penalty was a ₹3.58 crore fine imposed on the contractor responsible for the four-laning of the Vijayawada–Machilipatnam section of NH-9 in Andhra Pradesh.
Additionally, some contracts were terminated due to underperformance, and contractors were required to carry out relaying work apart from paying fines.
Expansion of National Highway Network
In his written response to Kerala MP Jebi Mather Hisham, Gadkari highlighted the significant expansion of the national highway network in recent years.
- The NH network has expanded from 91,287 km in March 2014 to 1,46,204 km at present.
- The length of four-lane and above NHs increased by 2.5 times, from 18,371 km in 2014 to about 48,430 km.
- National High-Speed Corridors/Expressways covering 2,474 km are already operational.
- The proportion of less than two-lane NHs has reduced from 30% to just 9% of the total NH network.
Impact on Logistics and Connectivity
Gadkari emphasized that increased budgetary allocation has led to substantial improvement in road quality, logistics efficiency, regional connectivity, and accessibility to highways across India. These developments, he said, contribute to the nation’s economic growth by enhancing transportation speed and efficiency.
With the government continuing its focus on infrastructure development, maintaining highway quality remains a critical area of attention to ensure safety and efficiency on India’s roads.
Sources By Agencies
