Lok Sabha Question No. 1074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-08
Subject: Declaration of NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Jakhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1077

ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018

## LENGTH OF ROADS

## 1077.   SHRI M. RAJA MOHAN REDDY:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सडक परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  road  length  increased  over  one  lakh  km.  within  a  span  of  one  year  across  the country;
- (b) if so, the increase during each of the last three years;

(c) whether any focus has been placed on construction of two lanes or four lanes roads; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

(a) and (b) The  Ministry  is  primarily  responsible  for  development  and  maintenance  of National Highways (NHs). The total length of NHs in the country was 91,287 km as on 31 st March, 2014. This has been enhanced to  about 1,20,543 km at present. The year-wise details of State roads, which have been declared as new NHs during each of the last three years, are as follows:-

(Length in km)

| Year                                      | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   |
|-------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Length of State roads declared as new NHs | 5,662     | 3,180     | 13,148.3  |

(c) and (d) The  development  and  maintenance  of  NHs  is  a  continuous  process.  The minimum  desirable  standards  for  NHs  is  of  2  lane  configurations.  The  works  on  NHs, including those for development of NHs to minimum 2 lane NH standards, are, accordingly, taken up depending upon inter-se priority, traffic density and availability of funds.

The Ministry has taken up development of NHs/ roads under various phases of National Highways Development Project (NHDP), Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for  the  North  East  Region  (SARDP-NE)  including  Arunachal  Pradesh  Package  of  Roads, Special Programme for Development of Roads in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas, National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP), National Highways (Original) [NH (O)] scheme, etc.

Various phases of NHDP envisaged development of NHs to 4/6 lane and 2 lane NH standards, development of expressways, etc.

Development  of  most  of  the  roads/  NHs  under  other  schemes  envisages  their upgradation to 2 lane NH standards. During 2017-18, progress achieved towards development of NHs to 2 lane and 4 or more  lane  NH  standards  were  about  2,889  km  and  1,399  km  respectively  upto  the  period ending December, 2017. The Ministry had taken up detailed review of NHs network with a view to develop the road connectivity to Border areas, development of Coastal roads including road connectivity for  Non-Major  ports,  improvement  in  the  efficiency  of  National  Corridors,  development  of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes along with integration with Sagarmala, etc., under 'Bharatmala Pariyojana'. Under this proposal, the Ministry has identified stretches for  development  of  about  26,200  km  length  of  Economic  Corridors,  8,000  km  of  Inter Corridors, 7,500 km of Feeder Routes, 5,300 km Border and International connectivity roads, 4,100  km  Coastal  and  Port  connectivity  roads,  1,900  km  Expressways,  National  Corridor Efficiency improvement by development of ring roads around 28 cities, decongestion of about 125 choke points and 66 congestion points, development of 35 nos. of Multimodal Logistics Parks. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for investment  approval  for  Phase-I  of  'Bharatmala  Pariyojana'  during  its  meeting  held  on 24.10.2017.  'Bharatmala Pariyojana' Phase-I includes development of about 9,000 km length of Economic corridors, about 6,000 km length of Inter-corridor and feeder roads, about 5,000 km length of National Corridors Efficiency improvements, about 2,000 km length of Border and International connectivity roads, about 2,000 km length of Coastal and port connectivity roads, about 800 km length of Expressways and balance length of about 10,000 km of roads under NHDP.  The programme is targeted for completion in 2021-2022. The general principle for upgradation of roads under Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana includes development of Economic corridors primarily to 4/6 lane NH standards, Inter-corridor and feeder roads primarily to 4 lane NH standards and Border, International connectivity roads,

Coastal and port connectivity roads primarily to 2 lane NH standards.

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