Out of 1,46,195 km length of National Highways (NH) network in the country, damages have been reported in about 816 km length during the current financial year.

Development and maintenance of NHs is a continuous process. The conditions of NHs are assessed from time to time by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and its various executing agencies. The maintenance works on NHs are accordingly taken up from time to time to keep the NHs in traffic worthy condition.

Details of funds allocated and expenditure incurred by MoRTH on Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of NHs during the last five years are as under:-

State / Union Territory (UT) – wise details of NH length maintained / repaired / improved under all types of M&R works during the last five years are at Annexure.

The Government has prioritized the maintenance of existing NH network and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure M&R of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency.

The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Contracts have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/ Contractors till the end of the Defect Liability Period (DLP)/ the Concession Period. Similarly, for NHs stretches undertaken under TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust), M&R responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period.

For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, Government has taken a policy decision to undertake maintenance works through Performance based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) or Short Term Maintenance Contract (STMC).

MoRTH encourages the adoption of innovative technologies or methods to enhance the durability and reduce the maintenance requirements of NHs (depending upon factors like rainfall, terrain type, soil category etc.). Such innovative technologies or methods include stabilization of subgrade, geosynthetic reinforced layer(s) in sub-base / base, concrete roads / whitetopping, perpetual pavement, Hi-performance bituminous mixes, modified bitumen / bituminous mixes, Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Cement Grouted Bituminous Mixes, intelligent compaction etc.