Ministry data shows 71.4% of India’s road network is rural

Rural roads constituted 71.4 per cent of the total road network in the country as of March 2019, a Roads and Highways Ministry report says. India had a road network of over 63,31,757 kilometres as of March 31, 2019, which is the second largest in the world, as per the report titled ‘Basic Road Statistics in India-2018-19’. The total roads constructed increased to 63,31,757 km in 2019 from 62,15,797 km in 2018 and registered a growth of 1.9 per cent. Maharashtra has the largest network of National Highways with 17,757 km (13.4 per cent), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan with 11,737 km (8.9 per cent) and 10,342km (7.8 per cent) respectively, the report says. State highways constituted 2.8 per cent of the total road network in the country and the total length of state highways was 1,79,535 km. Maharashtra also has the largest state highways network of 32,005 km, followed by Karnataka at 19,473 km, Gujarat at 16,746 km, Rajasthan at 15,061 km and Andhra Pradesh at 13,500 km. These five states accounted for 53.9 per cent of the total state highways network in the country. Maharashtra accounted for the largest network of rural roads with 4,26,327 km.See also: Bharatmala highways project plagued by cost, time escalation CRISIL: Will Build 32-34 km/day of National Highways