New Delhi: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made it mandatory for engineers and officers to conduct frequent inspections of national highways to prevent and remove encroachments, in line with a new standard operating procedure (SOP) issued following a Supreme Court directive.
Under the SOP, regional officers of the ministry and its agencies, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), must inspect stretches under their jurisdiction at least once every three months. Project directors and engineers in charge of project implementation units are required to conduct monthly inspections.
Contractors and supervision consultants are also tasked with identifying and reporting encroachments for immediate action. All findings, supported by visual evidence, must be uploaded to a designated portal.
To strengthen monitoring, drone-based videography and aerial imaging have been made compulsory. Quarterly drone surveys will be conducted during construction, while highways in urban areas with populations over one lakh will undergo monthly surveys. In smaller urban areas, the frequency will be every three months and in rural areas, every six months.
Encroachers will be liable to bear the cost of removal, along with additional charges and penalties, as provided under the National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act. The SOP also details coordination with local administrations and police, empowering officials to seek the intervention of district magistrates to clear violations.