New Delhi: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Thursday announced that it has rolled out a nationwide deployment of advanced Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) equipped with 3D laser-based technology, marking a major step towards data-driven and proactive maintenance of India’s National Highway network.
The high-tech vehicles, fitted with laser profilers, GPS systems, high-resolution cameras and advanced 3D laser sensors, are designed to scan highway stretches and generate detailed digital maps of road conditions.
The system can identify defects such as potholes, cracks, patches and surface unevenness, enabling authorities to take timely corrective action.
According to the ministry, the initiative is aimed at improving the riding experience and enhancing road safety across the country’s highway network.
The NSVs have already been deployed across several National Highway corridors and are expected to transform the way road assets are monitored and maintained.
Unlike conventional survey methods that covered only 20 to 80 kilometres per day, the new-generation vehicles can survey up to 300 kilometres daily.
This significant increase in efficiency is expected to accelerate the detection of road defects and reduce the time required for maintenance interventions, the ministry stated.
The ministry said the technology also brings a major improvement in data processing and reporting. Raw survey data collected by the vehicles is encrypted and transmitted to a centralised NSV centre within 48 hours.
Expert teams stationed across five zones then analyse the information and prepare reports. The entire process, which previously took four to six months, can now be completed within 10 days.
To ensure accuracy, every report undergoes a rigorous quality assurance process before being approved.
Once validated, notices are automatically issued to stakeholders through digital platforms, eliminating manual intervention and improving transparency in communication.
A key feature of the new framework is its integration with the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) AI-based Data Lake portal.
All survey findings are uploaded directly to the platform, allowing experts to analyse road conditions in real time and undertake evidence-based maintenance and repair measures.
(IANS)
