Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Heavy rainfall, landslides, flooding or erosion during the current monsoon season have damaged stretches of national highways in the eight NE states totalling a length of 40.36 km. Of the 40.36 km of damaged NHs in the NE states, Assam accounts for 8.32 km.
The statistics were revealed in the Rajya Sabha today by the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in reply to a question raised by Congress MP Kapil Sibal.
The recent floods in the state, caused by heavy rainfall, submerged several stretches of national highways. Moreover, the portion of the NH from Bongora to Satpokholi in South Kamrup has been considerably damaged due to heavy rainfall. Travellers have a challenging time negotiating this stretch.
According to the information furnished by the Union Minister, the total stretch of NH damaged in different states of the NE is as follows: Arunachal Pradesh 8.96 km, Assam 8.32 km, Manipur 1.55 km, Meghalaya 1.18 km, Mizoram 3.77 km, Nagaland 1.39 km, Sikkim 8.49 km and Tripura 1.39 km.
The damage to the NH stretches occurred due to weather-related events during the Southwest Monsoon 2026 season.
The Minister furnished in his reply the steps taken to improve the drainage system, adoption of climate-resilient designs in highway projects, etc.
Minister Gadkari stated that drainage systems on NHs are designed keeping in mind expected traffic, importance and configuration of road, sources of water, hydrology and hydro-geologic conditions of catchment area, geometric characteristics of the road, presence of extreme gradients and cross slope, areas of excavation and landfill, existing drainage systems, etc. However, localised issues in drainage systems are caused by non-clearance of the existing drainage system, blockage of the drainage outfall by unauthorised construction, poor maintenance of the drainage system in some cases and unprecedented rainfall leading to flooding of drainage systems. To prevent such issues, provision of additional culverts and upgradation of discharge capacity of the existing drainage system are made, duly considering the site conditions.
He further said that the government has taken various initiatives for developing disaster-resilient NH infrastructure, like the inclusion of slope studies and stabilisation as part of Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation by consultants. Geological and geotechnical investigations are to be carried out covering both within and beyond the Right of Way (ROW) to prevent damages to property and infrastructure. Also, due emphasis is to be given for construction of catchwater drains, side drains with catch pits, cut-off drains, cross drainage, etc.; implementation of standardised parameters for investigating hill slope stability & selecting cost-effective long-term stabilisation measures for landslide-prone areas in hilly regions; and refined hill construction methodology, which mandates initial construction only for hill cutting & slope protection and subsequent highway construction and protection work.
He also mentioned amendments made for NH works in hilly regions in the Standard Request for Proposal (RFP) Document for DPR Consultants and Standard Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contract Document, with modifications to incorporate provisions of the Expert Committee Report for hilly regions.
Gadkari also mentioned the 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 stabilising hilly and landslide-prone areas, thereby enhancing safety on NHs in such areas.
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