Nitin Gadkari's big announcement: Pothole-free highways in India by year-end
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced an ambitious goal to eliminate all potholes from India's 1.46 lakh kilometer national highway network by the end of this year. Potholes have been a major cause of accidents in the country. They are now being addressed through short-term contracts on highways that frequently develop potholes due to insufficient maintenance. Additionally, the government is working on a policy to ensure no potholes exist on any national highway across India.
Mapping and maintaining India's national highways
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has mapped India's national highway network and is recruiting young engineers to maintain it. India has one of the largest networks in the world, constructed and maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) with assistance from contractors.
Modes of highway construction in India
Highway construction in India primarily occurs through three methods: Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Gadkari explained that roads built under the EPC mode require maintenance sooner than those constructed under the BOT mode, as contractors are responsible for maintenance costs for 15-20 years in the latter case. The government pays developers for building highways under EPC mode and retains toll collection rights.
Emphasis on BOT mode for large-scale construction
To guarantee timely maintenance of highways built through EPC mode, Gadkari's ministry is offering performance-based maintenance and short-term maintenance contracts. The Union Minister pointed out that rain is the primary culprit for potholes on highways. He also assured that his ministry is conducting a safety audit of national highways and has decided to construct roads under the BOT mode on a large scale to tackle this issue.
