India targets pothole-free highways

29 Sep 2023 CW Team

Under the BOT model, the responsibility for highway maintenance lies with the contractor, ensuring the creation of high-quality roads that require minimal ongoing maintenance costs, as stated by Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

To achieve this ambitious goal, the government plans to engage young engineers and is actively exploring ways to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels in road construction. Projects exceeding Rs 5 billion will predominantly use the BOT and HAM models, while the EPC model will remain in use for smaller road sections.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has mapped the entire 1,46,000-kilometer national highway network and is developing performance-based maintenance and short-term maintenance contracts to eradicate potholes by December 2023. Additionally, the ministry is crafting a policy to encourage the use of municipal waste in road construction, promoting waste segregation facilities.

In an effort to reduce costs and dependency on fossil fuels, the ministry is also working on a draft policy to incentivise the use of alternative fuels in construction equipment. Interest subvention schemes and financial incentives are being considered to encourage investment in equipment powered by alternative fuels.

Furthermore, the ministry is exploring innovative technologies for the development of electric highways, particularly between Delhi and Jaipur, where electric traction will enable the operation of electric buses similar to the railway system. These initiatives aim to decarbonize the transportation sector and drive India towards a sustainable and pothole-free road network.

The Indian government is finalising a comprehensive plan to eliminate potholes on the country's national highways by December 2023. This initiative involves shifting the construction focus from the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model and the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) for government projects under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Under the BOT model, the responsibility for highway maintenance lies with the contractor, ensuring the creation of high-quality roads that require minimal ongoing maintenance costs, as stated by Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. To achieve this ambitious goal, the government plans to engage young engineers and is actively exploring ways to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels in road construction. Projects exceeding Rs 5 billion will predominantly use the BOT and HAM models, while the EPC model will remain in use for smaller road sections. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has mapped the entire 1,46,000-kilometer national highway network and is developing performance-based maintenance and short-term maintenance contracts to eradicate potholes by December 2023. Additionally, the ministry is crafting a policy to encourage the use of municipal waste in road construction, promoting waste segregation facilities. In an effort to reduce costs and dependency on fossil fuels, the ministry is also working on a draft policy to incentivise the use of alternative fuels in construction equipment. Interest subvention schemes and financial incentives are being considered to encourage investment in equipment powered by alternative fuels. Furthermore, the ministry is exploring innovative technologies for the development of electric highways, particularly between Delhi and Jaipur, where electric traction will enable the operation of electric buses similar to the railway system. These initiatives aim to decarbonize the transportation sector and drive India towards a sustainable and pothole-free road network.