Gadkari seeks environment ministry's approval to build wider hill roads

Accidents can be avoided in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, says union minister

Road transport and highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked the environment ministry to approve wider roads in hills to avoid accidents.

Gadkari, who was speaking at the National Highway Excellence Awards, said he intends to bring road accidents down by 50 per cent in the next two years as he cited the disproportionate number of crashes on national highways.

“Uttarakhand highways are only 3.7 metres wide, beyond that we don’t get permission. Every year, 350-400 people die due to insufficient-sized highways and buses falling off. We must have at least two-lane paved shoulder national highways, and if the environment ministry can give us approval, we can save lives in places like Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Tripura,” Gadkari told Environment Secretary Leena Nandan, who was present at the event.

Gadkari said engineers must have another look at detailed project reports (DPRs) for highway projects. “These lives are lost because of small things, there needs to be a more cautious approach in designing roads to completely eliminate black spots. There is absolutely no reason for black spots to be there in new roads.” 

The cost of constructing roads must to be reduced through innovative methods. “I personally feel the cost of construction is too high. We need to think of how we can bring this cost down by 50 per cent without compromising on the quality,” he said.