NHAI intensifies anti-encroachment drive to make National Highways safer, clears illegal access points in Rajkot
A nationwide push to remove encroachments from National Highways is gathering pace, with NHAI clearing illegal access points and median gaps to improve road safety, traffic flow and emergency response.
The anti-encroachment campaign follows directions issued by the Supreme Court for the removal of unauthorised occupations on public roads and highways.
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have intensified efforts to remove unauthorised encroachments from National Highways, describing the initiative as a critical road safety intervention aimed at reducing accidents, improving traffic flow and protecting public infrastructure.
The ministry in a statement on Wednesday said illegal structures, commercial establishments, temporary sheds, unauthorised roadside extensions and illegal access points along highway corridors continue to pose serious risks to motorists by narrowing carriageways, obstructing visibility, interfering with drainage systems and creating unsafe entry and exit points. Such encroachments also hinder highway maintenance, emergency response operations and future infrastructure expansion.
The anti-encroachment campaign follows directions issued by the Supreme Court for the removal of unauthorised occupations on public roads and highways. In compliance with these directions, MoRTH and NHAI have been conducting sustained enforcement drives across the country to restore the designated Right of Way (RoW) and ensure safer travel for all road users.
One of the major ongoing operations is being carried out by NHAI’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Rajkot, Gujarat, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 9 of 2025.
As part of the exercise, NHAI surveyed nearly 693 kilometres of National Highways under its jurisdiction and issued 1,403 notices against unauthorised structures, illegal commercial access points and unapproved median cuts identified as major safety hazards on high-speed corridors.
The authority has already removed more than 361 illegal access points and encroachments while permanently closing 150 unauthorised median gaps. The enforcement drive has been undertaken in coordination with District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to ensure smooth implementation and maintain law and order during the operations.
According to the Ministry, recent large-scale drives have successfully cleared hundreds of unauthorised occupations along the Somnath-Dwarka National Highway, including stretches at Bardiya and from Honest Hotel to Hathi Chowk, improving both safety and traffic movement on one of Gujarat’s important religious tourism corridors.
MoRTH said the exercise is not merely an enforcement measure but a comprehensive road safety initiative. Every encroachment removed restores driver visibility, reduces conflict points, creates space for emergency services and lowers the risk of crashes caused by sudden lane changes and unsafe roadside activities.
The Ministry also emphasised that protecting the Right of Way safeguards significant public investment in highway infrastructure while facilitating future expansion and maintenance without avoidable delays. It reiterated that keeping National Highways free from encroachments is essential for ensuring safer, faster and more efficient movement of people and goods across the country.
