Lok Sabha Question No. 173 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-11
Subject: Condition of Highways in Disaster Prone Areas
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri V K Sreekandan

## be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government is considering to issue new norms to curb highway collapse in disaster-prone areas of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is a fact that damage to National Highways (NHs) has been mostly observed in those sections constructed along riverbanks, exacerbated by rising river levels due to various factors including increasing habitation and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is also a fact that damage to NHs has been caused in certain  cases  because  of  unscientific  methods  of  construction  or planning and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether bridges constructed over NHs/major roads have reportedly collapsed at many places recently and if so, the reasons identified for such bridge collapses?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to (d)  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 173

## ANSWERED ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## CONDITION OF HIGHWAYS IN DISASTER PRONE AREAS *173.   SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  173  ANSWERED  ON  11.12.2025 ASKED  BY  SHRI  V  K  SREEKANDAN  REGARDING  CONDITION  OF HIGHWAYS IN DISASTER PRONE AREAS

- (a) to  (c)     The  Government  in  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  and Highways  (MoRTH)  is  primarily  responsible  for  development  and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). Generally, the hilly areas of Himalayan Region and Western Ghat sections have witnessed the disasters causing large scale highways damages including collapses during the rainy season.

Damages sustained on NHs, including structures thereon, are also  caused  due  to  various  other  reasons  like  design  flaws,  noncompliance  to  Standards  /  Specifications,  improper  construction practices  /  techniques,  Force  Majeure  events  like  heavy  rains, landslides, floods etc.

The  Government  has  taken  various  initiatives  for  developing disaster  resilient  NHs  infrastructure,  including  structures  thereon, which includes: -

- i. Consultants to include slope studies and stabilization as part of Detailed Project Report preparation. Geological and geotechnical investigation are to be carried out covering both within and beyond Right of Way (ROW) to prevent damages to property and infrastructure. Also, due emphasis to be given for construction of catch water drains, side drains with catch pits, cut off drains, cross drainage, etc.
- ii. Implementation  of  standardized  parameters  for  investigating hill slope stability & selecting cost-effective long-term stabilization measures for landslide-prone areas in hilly regions.
- iii. Hill  construction  methodology  refined  which  mandates  initial construction  only  for  hill  cutting  &  slope  protection  and subsequent highway construction only post stabilized cutting formation and protection work.
- iv. Sensor instruments based monitoring of internal slope disturbances  has  also  been  taken  up  in  2  NHs  stretches  on pilot basis.
- v. Implementation of sustainable bio-engineering measures such as  coir/jute  mat  hydroseeding,  interlinked  chain  mesh  with green  strips,  bamboo  piling  by  stepped  berms  and  erosion control with Vetivar grass plantation on jute matting etc. for stabilizing hilly and landslide prone areas, thereby enhancing safety on NHs in such areas.
- vi. Research scheme taken up through IIT Roorkee for Development  of  Guidelines  for  the  Assessment  of  Hillslope Instability Instrumentation & Real Time Monitoring.
7. (d) There  have  been  a  few  incidences  of  collapse  of  bridges  on NHs  in  the  country.  Details  of  collapse  of  bridges  on  rivers  and flyovers  on  NHs  during  the  last  Financial  Year  (FY)  and  current  FY along with reasons thereof are at Annexure.

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 173 ANSWERED ON 11.12.2025 ASKED BY SHRI V K SREEKANDAN REGARDING CONDITION OF HIGHWAYS IN DISASTER PRONE AREAS

## Details of collapse of bridges / flyovers on NHs during the last FY and current FY along with reasons thereof: -

|   S. No. | State/UT         | NH No.   | Name / Location / Chainage of the Bridge / flyover                     | Reasons                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Year of Incident   |
|----------|------------------|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
|        1 | Jharkhand        | NH-43    | Newly constructed Major Bridge at Ch 77+100                            | P5 pier settled by 55mm (Part of 4 Laning of Palma Gumla Project). Cause of failure / settlement under investigation.                                                                                           | Sep'25             |
|        2 | Punjab           | NH-44    | Ravi Bridge Pathankot-Jammu Ch 15.637                                  | Major Bridge of span 850.9 m (19x43.5+ 2x12.2). Flood in Ravi River due to which Madhopur Barrage gates collapsed leading to course of River Changed leading to damage of 100 m approach and tilting of 3 piers | Aug'25             |
|        3 | Jammu & Kashmir  | NH-44    | Km 27.700 (Khaderu)                                                    | Due to unprecedented rainfall and flash floods, Two piers have settled resulting in damage to three spans of the LHS 2 lane bridge. Excessive scouring has occurred in the RHS 2 lane bridge.                   | Aug'25             |
|        4 | Jammu & Kashmir  | NH-44    | Km 77.200 (Devak)                                                      | Due to unprecedented rainfall and flash floods, Two piers have settled resulting in damage to three spans of the RHS 2 lane bridge.                                                                             | Aug'25             |
|        5 | Jammu & Kashmir  | NH-44    | Km 71.100 (Tharad)                                                     | Due to intense and continuous rainfall along with cloudburst & flash flood in District Udhampur leading to movement of 300 m X 550 m hill mass collapsed/slided at Tharad location (Km 71.00)                   | Aug'25             |
|        6 | Uttarakhand      | NH-34    | Limchigad Bridge, km 53.5 G-D Road                                     | 24m Permanent Bridge due to Cloud Burst                                                                                                                                                                         | Aug'25             |
|        7 | Uttarakhand      | NH-309   | Kalgadi Bridge, km 238, Ramnagar-Pauri Section                         | 20m Span RCC Bridge due to Cloud Burst                                                                                                                                                                          | Aug'25             |
|        8 | Uttarakhand      | NH-107B  | Tamak bridge, Km 41.050 on Suraithota- Malari Road.                    | Bridge Collapsed due to flash flood, cloud burst and subsequently heavy rainfall in the region of Tamak village.                                                                                                | Aug'25             |
|        9 | Himachal Pradesh | NH 305   | Manglore Bridge at Km 79/875 (25.80 m Span; Steel Truss with RCC Deck) | An overloaded tanker crossed the bridge at midnight. FIR lodged. Matter under investigation.                                                                                                                    | Apr'25             |
|       10 | Kerala           | NH-66    | Kollam Bypass to Kadambattukonam/ Ch.497+370 (RHS)                     | Collapse of scoffolding of Minor Bridge (under Construction) due to Staging issue & improper supervision.                                                                                                       | Nov'24             |

|   S. No. | State/UT   | NH No.          | Name / Location / Chainage of the Bridge / flyover                                           | Reasons                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Year of Incident   |
|----------|------------|-----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
|       11 | Karnataka  | NH-66           | Old Kali River Bridge at Km. 102 + 470 (LHS)                                                 | Bridge connecting Karwar and Sadashivgad with a total length of 666m, having 8 No. of spans (2*19.4+2*69.5+4*122). Collapsed for a length of 242.4m approx. (3 spans)                                                                                            | Aug'24             |
|       12 | Gujarat    | NH-56           | Bharaj (Ch.409/305)                                                                          | Due to heavy rainfall and sudden & heavy flow in Bharaj river, existing pier of Bharaj bridge is tilted and span between Pier 3 & Pier 4 settled and due to further heavy flow of water in Bharaj river, pier (2 No.) & span (3 No.) of Bharaj bridge collapsed. | Aug'24             |
|       13 | Manipur    | NH-37           | Irang Bailey Bridge                                                                          | 160 ft TDR Bailey Bridge washed away due to heavy rain during Cyclone Remal                                                                                                                                                                                      | May'24             |
|       14 | Meghalaya  | NH-62 (New 217) | Bridge No: 203/2                                                                             | Over load caused the bridge to exceed its weight capacity of 40 tons                                                                                                                                                                                             | Apr'24             |
|       15 | Haryana    | NH-48           | P4-P5 piers and between G1-G2 Girder, at Chainage 36+350                                     | In the elevated span of Hero Honda Chowk on NH 48, between P4-P5 piers and between G1-G2 Girder, at Chainage 36+350 some portion of deck slab has fallen down with settlement of the bituminous surface (MCW-01) on RHS.                                         | May'24             |
|       16 | Kerala     | NH-66           | At Ch 410/230                                                                                | Collapse of 4 PSC Girders during construction                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Mar'25             |
|       17 | Kerala     | NH-66           | Toppling of two PSC girders at span P- 202-P-203 (part of Aroor to Thuravoor Thekku section) | Failure on part of AE to review efficacy of material being used in launching and not ensuring application of approved launching scheme.                                                                                                                          | Nov'25             |

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