Parliament Question: National Highway projects in Uttarakhand

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3778 ANSWERED ON – 25/03/2026 NATIONAL HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN UTTARAKHAND

3778. SHRI MAHENDRA BHATT:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state;

(a) whether Government is preparing any special time-bound plan to expedite the completion of incomplete National Highway projects such as NH-135C in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand; and

(b) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) and (b) Development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) including the NHs in the State of Uttarakhand is a continuous process. Works on NHs are accordingly taken up based on the traffic density, condition of road and synergy with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to keep the NHs in traffic worthy condition.

Government actively monitors NH projects in close coordination with project implementing agencies, State Governments, contractors/developers. Periodic review meetings are held at various levels, and steps are taken to improve liquidity of funds available with contractors/developers, to expedite progress. In addition, various initiatives are taken to avoid or reduce project delays, including streamlining land acquisition & environment clearances, online approval of General Arrangement Drawings (GAD) of Railway Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs), revamping dispute resolution mechanism, premium re-scheduling, one- time fund infusion, etc. Cooperation and support of the State Government has been sought from time to time, to remove impediments to project implementation.

Wherever there are defaults attributable to Contractors/Concessionaires, actions against defaulting agencies are taken up as per the provisions of the Contract/ Concession agreement in cases of delays, deficiencies/ damages, such as termination of contract agreement, levying of penalties/ liquidated damages, debarment/ blacklisting, declaring as non-performers etc.Various initiatives have been taken for developing disaster resilient NHs infrastructure including NHs in Hilly States/Union Territories which includes: - i. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Ltd (THDCIL) for specialized landslide treatment measures for the States of Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.

ii. Decision taken in November, 2024 for implementation of cost-effective long term remedial measures of landslide prone areas in hilly regions as per Expert Committee Report. iii. To ensure implementation of slope cutting and stabilization works in the first instance to be followed up by road construction works for NHs in Hilly/Mountainous terrain.

Road works are to commence only after protection measures are completed section-wise. iv. MoU signed with Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment (DGRE) for Technological collaboration of Geo-hazard mitigation measures on National Highways.

v. MoU signed with Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Geological investigation for tunnels and sharing of data for Geohazard Studies. vi. MoU signed by National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) with National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) for broad area of collaboration in • geotechnical Investigation scrutiny for tunnel projects, road projects, • review/ proof check of design and drawings of tunnel during preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) /construction stage, • checking of adequacy of instrumentation and monitoring devices, tunnel safety audit, • formulation of scientific investigation based on rock mechanics and rock engineering for work package, • training to officials, etc.

vii. MoU signed with NIRM for peer review of Detailed Project Report for Shillong – Silchar Greenfield high-speed corridor. viii. Initiatives taken through funding a research scheme to IIT Roorkee for Development of Guidelines for the Assessment of Hillslope Instability using Instrumentation & Real Time Monitoring; an MoU has been signed separately for study of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR)-based landslide monitoring and early warning system along a 100-km stretch of the Chardham Pilgrimage Route, Uttarakhand.

ix. Mandatory slope cutting and stabilization to be completed before road construction; road works to start only after section-wise protection measures are in place.x. A Policy issued on 7th November 2025 on “Additional Augmented and Systematic Remedial Measures for NH Construction in Hilly Regions” and amendments to RFP for DPR/Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) aims to a) Improve quality of DPRs b) Ensure adequate slope protection and drainage measures c) Enhance construction practices in hilly terrain d) Provide adequate construction time e) Strengthen monitoring and landslide early-warning systems

This includes detailed guiding principles for: a) Alignment/route selection and widening proposals b) Additional RoW planning c) Identification of dumpsites for muck disposal d) Design of slope protection and drainage measures e) Good construction practices and post-construction maintenance.

NH-135C does not pass through the State of Uttarakhand. NH-135C starts from its junction with NH-35 near Prayagraj connecting Koraon, Drumanodganj, Haliya in the State of Uttar Pradesh, Awadhadam, Pipra, Manigarha, Karondiya, Bagdara, Chtrangi, Singrauli and terminates at its junction with NH-39 near Waidhan in the State of Madhya Pradesh.

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