Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, concerned about the numerous complaints regarding the poor maintenance of national highways during the monsoon, has directed his ministry to conduct a comprehensive investigation of both the Sohna-Vadodara stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway. He has instructed the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to carry out this investigation as soon as possible.
In a separate directive, Gadkari has also ordered the ministry to examine the maintenance issues of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), which serves as a bypass for Delhi. He referenced his recent experience traveling on the 135-km expressway during a plantation drive.
Gadkari has emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable and called for the strictest action against them. Sources mentioned that the minister is actively pursuing investigations into such cases, especially after recent incidents.
Just days before the plantation event, reports surfaced of a section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway collapsing in Rajasthan, as well as a large pothole on the newly built Amritsar-Jamnagar Economic Corridor. In response, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) imposed a Rs 5 million fine on the contractor for failing to address the defects in a timely manner, and two engineers from the Authority Engineer (AE) were dismissed for inadequate supervision and lapses. Similar action was taken against contractors, engineers, and officials involved in the Sohna-Mumbai Expressway.
During the plantation event, Gadkari issued a warning that negligence and poor maintenance of highways would not be tolerated and that both domestic and foreign contractors responsible would be blacklisted.
