Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 8 National Highway projects in Maharashtra: But data shows more needs to be done

By: Yash Gupte

The ministry has constructed 4,060 km of national highways up to October in FY 2022-23 as compared to 4,450 km constructed up to October 2021-22.

Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for Road Transport and Highways inaugurated and laid foundation stone of 8 National Highway projects of 226 km length worth Rs 1800 crore at Igatpuri in Nashik, Maharashtra. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, these projects will generate new employment opportunities and ensure development of the region. These projects will also connect the rural areas to urban areas, making it easier for the agricultural and handicraft business to reach the markets.

Considering the inauguration of 8 national highway projects worth Rs 1800 crore, India Tracker takes a look at the construction of national highways in the country.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the construction of highways till October 2022 has been a mere 4,060 km against the target of 12,000 km in the current financial year. The ministry has constructed 4,060 km of national highways up to October in FY 2022-23 as compared to 4,450 km constructed up to October 2021-22.

One of the major reasons behind the slowdown in the highway construction is being attributed to country’s prolonged monsoon season. Officials from the ministry and other field experts said that the prolonged monsoon has created a lot of hurdles in the construction. Giridhar Aramane, secretary, ministry of road transport and highways while commenting on the slowdown in the construction activity said that “The construction of new highways has been slow in the first six-month period. The same trend has been seen in the past three years. If we relate the current numbers with same period last year, we have almost reached 90% levels. Construction generally picks up pace in the second half of the year and we are confident of constructing 12,000 km of highways this year."

Aramane’s comments bring hopes about achieving the set target. But let us have a look at the basic mathematics here. The ministry has been able to construct 4,060 km national highways till October 2022. Simplifying this, it means that only around 1/4^th of the target has been met in first seven months of the FY2022-23 as the target of highway construction in the current financial year is 12,000 km. Now, in order to achieve the target, the ministry has to undertake the completion of remaining 8,441 km till March 2023. This means that 3/4^th of the construction in current financial year is still pending. But according to experts, 50 km of new roads must be built every day in order to accomplish the desired goal. The government has never succeeded in doing this in the past.

The chart below compares the construction of National Highways from April to October in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Source: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

There is a slowdown in the construction of national highway in the current financial year as compared to the previous one. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, had stated in the monsoon session of the Rajya Sabha that India's road infrastructure will be equal to that of the United States by 2024. Citing instances of how the expressways will cut down on travel time, he had said that the travel time between major cities of India will be cut to less than half. He reiterated his statement recently at the 95^th annual convention of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI). He said that “We are making the world standard road infrastructure in the country and promising you that before the end of 2024, India’s road infrastructure will be equal to the standard of the USA.” But the data shows a different reality as the highway construction in India slows down.