NHAI makes use of Network Survey Vehicle mandatory to improve road quality

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday informed that it has made mandatory to use Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) to carry out road condition survey at the time of certifying completion of the project and every six months thereafter.

"Carrying out road condition survey using NSV on the National Highways has been made mandatory at the time of certifying completion of the project and every six months thereafter. The provision has also been included as a part of the standard bidding document of consultancy services," read an official statement from NHAI.

"The deployment will help in enhancing the overall quality of the highways as NSV uses the latest survey techniques such as high-resolution digital camera for 3600 imagery, record images or videos at regular intervals, Laser Road Profilometer and other related technology for the measurement of distresses in the road surface," the statement added.

"NSV will also help to collate data to analyse the road condition including measurement of the road surface, surface cracking, potholes and patches. Apart from this, NSV will also provide data insights relating to side drains, road furniture etc," it said.

The NHAI said that the data collected through the NSV survey shall be uploaded on NHAI's AI-based portal DataLake, where it will be analysed by Road Asset Management Cell (RAMS Cell) to assess the condition or roughness of the road to prioritise for the maintenance.

According to the release, the data thus collected will help in maintaining up to date asset inventory and road assets condition status and apart from delivering vital information on road network planning, providing relevant information on other aspects such as the development of road safety measures, it will also assist in developing highway maintenance strategies, analysis of maintenance and selection of optimal maintenance regime.

"The data collected through NSV surveys will highlight deficiencies in road conditions, prompting BOT operators or NHAI officials to take corrective steps to bring the road condition to the desired level. This will further result in better upkeep of National Highways, leading to more comfort and better travel experience for highways users," it added.

( With inputs from ANI )