NHAI to undertake safety audits of under-construction tunnels across India

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will undertake a safety audit of all 29 under-construction tunnels across the country to ensure safety and adherence to highest quality standards, an official statement said on Wednesday. The statement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) comes in the backdrop of collapse of under-construction Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi on November 12.

NHAI officials, along with a team of experts from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as well as other tunnel experts, will inspect the ongoing tunnel projects and will submit a report within seven days, the statement said.

The 29 under-construction tunnels, spanning approximately 79 km in total length, are distributed across various regions of the country. Specifically, there are 12 tunnels in Himachal Pradesh, six in Jammu and Kashmir, and two each in Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan. Additionally, there is one tunnel each in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi.

NHAI also signed a memorandum of understanding with Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL). As part of the agreement, KRCL review design, drawing, and safety aspects related to tunnel construction and slope stabilisation of NHAI projects.