National highways to be pothole free soon: Gadkari

New Delhi: The government is working on a policy to ensure that there are no potholes on national highways by year-end and construction of roads on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode is being preferred as such projects are maintained in a better manner, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. With an aim to make the national highways free of potholes by the end of December this year, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry is firming up performance-based maintenance and short-term maintenance contracts.

Generally, road construction is done through three modes — BOT, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). “The roads which are constructed under the EPC mode require maintenance quite early whereas under the BOT mode, roads are better constructed as the contractor knows that he will have to bear the cost of maintenance for the next 15-20 years.

“That is why we have decided for construction of roads under the BOT mode in a big way,” the Road Transport and Highways Minister said at a media briefing on various initiatives of his ministry.

Earlier the ministry had said urban solid waste is being utilised in the construction of UER-II, DND-Sohna spur of the Delhi Mumbai expressway and the Ahmedabad to Dholera expressway.

The government’s highway contracts will have an enabling clause that will promote the use of municipal waste in embankment construction. Yet another project he highlighted was the use of solar lighting on highways which has resulted in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Gadkari further said that the draft for a policy to incentivise construction machinery using alternative fuel has been prepared and will be soon shared with the finance ministry for approval. However, he didn’t give a definite timeline.

Gadkari said that the proposal is in line with PM Narendra Modi’s target of making India a carbon neutral country by 2047.

In May, Gadkari had pitched the idea for road-making companies to switch to using alternative fuel power construction equipment and save costs.

According to estimates of MoRTH, construction equipment use 400 crore litres of diesel every year. The ministry wants to promote use of alternative fuels in construction equipment.

Earlier this week, Gadkari said that the $5 trillion economy dream is possible and for that the country needs infrastructure development.

“Without water, power, transport and communication, we will not get industry and capital investment. Without industry and capital investment, we cannot create employment potential. And without employment potential, we cannot eradicate poverty. That is very important,” Gadkari said.