NHAI will deploy Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) across 23 states to inspect 20,933 km of national highways.
Purpose: detect cracks, potholes, rutting, and safety/design flaws to improve pavement quality and reduce accidents.
Data will be uploaded to Road Asset Management System (RAMS) for lifecycle-based maintenance planning.
1️⃣ Expansion of Highway Network – Progress
- National highway network expanded by ~60% (2014 → 2025)
(91,287 km → 146,195 km) - Multilane highways more than doubled
- Construction pace: 33 km/day (2023–24); record 37 km/day (2020–21)
- Key programmes: Bharatmala Pariyojana, economic corridors, expressways
- Shift towards performance-based maintenance contracts
- Use of technology: drones, GPS, 3D mapping, satellite monitoring
2️⃣ Persistent Challenges
- Poor road design and safety engineering
- Crash barriers, signages often inadequate
- Potholes and unfinished stretches → road fatalities
- 9,000+ deaths (2022) during ongoing construction
- User dissatisfaction despite expansion
- Weak enforcement of road discipline → limited safety outcomes
Why this matters (Significance)
- Enables data-driven maintenance decisions
- Reduces road fatalities through early detection of defects
- Improves transparency and contractor accountability
- Aligns with RAMS-based planning → lifecycle cost reduction
- Modernises India’s highway asset management system