Centre directs states to conduct network survey vehicle to improve NH condition
New Delhi: In an attempt to reduce road fatalities by improving the conditions of national highways, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which is led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has directed all states and road construction agencies to conduct surveys using Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) to get the real-time data of the status of all roads.
In a letter to the secretaries of Public Works Department dealing with national highways and other centrally-sponsored schemes, the Transport Ministry has asked all states/UTs to upload the data with the Road Asset Management System (RAMS) of all national highways as the latest data would be assessed by the ministry officials and necessary instructions would be issued for improving the conditions of national highways.
The directions have also been issued to all chief engineers of states/UTs, DG of Border Road Organisation, chairman of National Highways Authority of India and NHIDCL.
In the letter, the ministry has said, "The NSV survey needs to be carried out on all NH stretches entrusted with PWD and in case NSV survey is not included in the scope of existing contract, cost of the survey may be met out from contingency of any work."
In case of the NH stretches entrusted with state governments/UTs, the ministry would bear the cost of NSV survey at the rate of Rs 4,500 per lane per km for every run, it said, adding that the NSV survey may be carried out at least once in a year. The NSV has been made mandatory for all medium-term maintenance contracts, it said.
According to the ministry official, the data collected from the survey would help in analysing the condition of the road, including measurement of the road surface, potholes, surface cracking, and patches. Besides, it will offer data insights relating to side drains as well as road furniture, etc.
As per ministry report, road accidents have claimed around 1.32 lakh lives in 2020, which is the lowest in the past 11 years as in 2009, 1.26 lakh people had died in road mishaps.
