NHAI makes Network Survey Vehicle mandatory to improve road quality

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday said it has made deployment of Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) mandatory to ensure better quality of roads.

NSV uses high resolution camera to capture images of highways and has several other features.

"In line with its commitment to provide better roads to commuters, NHAI has decided to deploy Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) to enhance quality of the National Highways. 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 NHAI said in a statement.

The provision has also been included as a part of the standard bidding document of consultancy services.

"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 3,600 imagery, record images/videos at regular intervals, laser road profilometer and other related technology for measurement of distresses in road surface,", it said.

The statement said 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.

The data collected through NSV survey shall be uploaded on NHAI’s AI based portal Data Lake, where it will be analysed by Road Asset Management Cell (RAMS Cell) to assess the condition/roughness of the road to prioritise for the maintenance.

The data will help in maintaining up to date asset inventory and road assets condition status, the statement said.

Apart from delivering vital information on road network planning, providing relevant information on other aspects such as development of road safety measures, etc. it will also assist in developing Highway maintenance strategies, analysis of maintenance and selection of optimal maintenance regime, it said.

The data collected through NSV surveys will highlight deficiencies in road conditions, prompting BOT (build, operate, transfer) operators/NHAI officials to take corrective steps to bring the road condition to the desired level, NHAI said.

This will further result in better upkeep of National Highways, leading to more comfort and better travel experience for Highways users, it added.

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