New Delhi: To encourage innovative practices and recognise professionals delivering excellence in National Highway development, the sixth edition of the ‘National Highways Excellence Awards’ will be held at Bharat Mandapam here on Tuesday.
Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, along with Ministers of State for Road Transport & Highways Ajay Tamta and Harsh Malhotra, Secretary, Road Transport and Highways V. Umashankar, as well as senior officials of the ministry and the NHAI, will be present on the occasion.
“NHEA 2023 will serve as a platform to commemorate remarkable achievements within the National Highway infrastructure sector and recognise professionals as well as stakeholders for their contribution in the construction & maintenance of the best-performing National Highway assets across the country,” according to an official statement.
The daylong event will also feature various panel discussions with domain experts and will delve into topics such as emerging technologies in highway construction, highway development in hilly terrains, and the global competitiveness of Indian construction companies.
‘National Highway Excellence Awards’ were institutionalized in 2018 by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, with an aim to incentivise and encourage key stakeholders and to create a spirit of healthy competition amongst all the stakeholders involved in the development of National Highway infrastructure in the country.
The length of India’s National Highway network has surged by 60 per cent in the last 10 years from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,195 km in 2024, making it the second largest road network in the world, according to official figures.
In a landmark achievement, National High-Speed Corridors have also increased from a mere 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km in 2024 which reflects the quantum improvement in the country’s infrastructure.
The rapid growth in the country’s highways has taken place due to undertaken by the Centre, including flagship programmes such as the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Another 2,540 km of highways have been added through externally Aided Projects (EAP) with loan assistance from the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as on November 30, 2024.
(IANS)
