Restoring Safety by Removing National Highway Encroachments

India's National Highways are the backbone of the country's mobility and economic growth, carrying millions of commuters and transporting goods across states every day. However, one of the most persistent threats to road safety and efficient highway operations is unauthorised encroachment along highway corridors.

Illegal structures, commercial establishments, temporary sheds, roadside extensions, and other encroachments narrow carriageways, obstruct visibility, interfere with drainage systems, and create unsafe entry and exit points. Such obstructions significantly increase the risk of road crashes by forcing vehicles to make sudden lane changes, reducing reaction time, and distracting drivers. Encroachments also hamper highway maintenance, emergency response, and future infrastructure expansion.

Recognising the importance of keeping public roads safe and accessible, the Supreme Court has directed the removal of unauthorised encroachments on public roads and highways.

In line with this commitment, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been undertaking sustained anti-encroachment drives across the country. These operations are carried out in accordance with legal provisions and established procedures, with the objective of restoring the Right of Way (RoW), improving traffic movement, and enhancing safety for all road users.

One such initiative is being undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), PIU Rajkot, which has launched a large-scale anti-encroachment drive in strict compliance with the directives of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 9 of 2025.

NHAI surveyed nearly 693 km of National Highways under its jurisdiction and issued 1,403 notices against unauthorised structures, illegal commercial accesses, and unapproved median cuts-major safety hazards that increase the risk of fatal crashes on high-speed corridors. Acting promptly, the authority has already removed more than 361 illegal accesses and encroachments and permanently closed 150 unauthorised median gaps. The drive has been carried out in close coordination with the respective District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs), ensuring smooth and effective enforcement. Recent mega-drives have successfully cleared hundreds of unauthorised occupations along the religiously significant Somnath-Dwarka Highway, notably in Bardiya and the stretch from Honest Hotel to Hathi Chowk.

These initiatives are not merely enforcement exercises-they are road safety interventions. Every encroachment removed helps restore visibility, improves traffic flow, provides space for emergency operations, and reduces the likelihood of crashes. At the same time, protecting the designated Right of Way safeguards public investment in national infrastructure and enables future highway development without avoidable delays.

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GDH/DS