The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to deploy Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) to enhance quality of national highways.
Carrying out road condition survey using NSV on 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 part of the standard bidding document of consultancy services.
The deployment will help in enhancing the overall quality of highways as NSV uses the latest survey techniques such as high-resolution digital camera for 3600 imagery, record images/videos at regular intervals, laser road profilometer and other related technology for measurement of distresses in road surface.
NSV will also help collate data to analyse road conditions including measurement of road surface, surface cracking, potholes and patches. Apart from this, NSV will also provide data insights relating to side drains and road furniture, etc.
Data collected through NSV survey will be uploaded on NHAI’s AI-based portal Data Lake, where it will be analysed by the Road Asset Management Cell (RAMS Cell) to assess condition/roughness of road to prioritise for maintenance.
The data will help maintaining up-to-date asset inventory and road assets condition status. 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.
The data collected through NSV surveys will highlight deficiencies in road conditions, prompting BOT operators/NHAI officials to take corrective steps to bring road condition to desired level.
This will further result in better upkeep of national highways, leading to more comfort and better travel experience for highways users.