- Kerala recorded the highest number of incidents at eight, followed by Maharashtra with seven
- The highest annual death count was recorded in 2022, when 11 people were killed
- The deadliest incident took place at Khooni Nallah in J&K in 2022, when the entrance to a tunnel collapsed
At least 22 people were killed in major failures reported across 48 National Highway projects since 2021, the Centre told Parliament on Wednesday.
The incidents included roads developing cracks after rain, bridge foundations suffering damage, retaining walls collapsing, girders toppling and accidents at under-construction tunnels.
The affected projects were spread across 20 states and Union Territories. Kerala recorded the highest number of incidents at eight, followed by Maharashtra with seven and Bihar with five.
The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry shared the figures in written replies to questions raised in the Rajya Sabha.
The government listed failures in 13 projects each in 2024 and 2025, the highest annual count during the period covered. Six such failures have been reported so far in 2026.
The data covers National Highways, which are under the Centre. State highways are maintained by the respective state governments, and no consolidated figures were provided on them.
Collapses
The deadliest incident took place at Khooni Nallah in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, when an entrance to an under-construction tunnel collapsed following a landslide, killing 10 workers.
The contractor was blacklisted and fined an amount equivalent to 1 per cent of the project cost.
In Andhra Pradesh, two workers were killed in 2021 after girders collapsed at a construction site. The contractor was fined Rs 3 crore and the independent engineer Rs 40 lakh.
Bihar recorded two deaths in separate girder collapses, one in 2022 and another in 2024. Personnel linked to the contractors and engineering consultants were suspended.
Two workers died in Madhya Pradesh in 2025 after earth collapsed at the crown of an under-construction tunnel.
In Uttar Pradesh, two workers were killed in 2026 when part of a reinforcement cage being assembled for a viaduct pier collapsed on them.
One worker each was killed in girder-related incidents in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam. One person died after a portion of a flyover fell in Delhi.
The highest annual death count was recorded in 2022, when 11 people were killed. Of these,10 were from the Jammu and Kashmir tunnel collapse alone.
19 Recent Highway Failures Listed
In a separate reply, the government listed 19 entries involving damage to newly built or under-construction highway infrastructure during 2025 and 2026.
The incidents were reported in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Meghalaya.
They included severe rutting and cracks after rain, damaged bridge foundations, collapsed retaining walls, toppled girders, premature pavement failure and defects in culverts and elevated road structures.
Kerala accounted for seven entries in the detailed list.
Distress was detected in the foundations of two bridges on the highway connecting Kalamassery and Vallarpadam. The contractor was fined Rs 30.74 crore.
On the Kodungallur-Edappally section of NH-66, the ministry reported damaged foundations, faulty bridge construction, poor-quality material in retaining walls and inadequate safety measures.
The concessionaire was barred from bidding for one year and ordered to repair the damage at its own cost.
On another section of NH-66, part of a slope-stabilisation structure collapsed across a stretch of about 65 metres in June 2025. No casualties were reported.
Four concrete girders collapsed during construction on the Thuravoor-Paravoor project, while two more girders toppled on the elevated corridor between Aroor and Thuravoor Thekku.
Penalties were imposed and engineers linked to the projects were removed or barred from future bidding.
In Gujarat, ruts, cracks and surface deformation appeared after rain on the Sanchore-Santalpur Package-4 project.
The contractor was fined Rs 2.8 crore and recommended for debarment for up to one year or until the road was successfully repaired, whichever was later. The NHAI Project Director was suspended.
In Madhya Pradesh, premature pavement failure was reported on the Bhopal-Biaora section of NH-46.
The contractor was fined Rs 119 crore and directed to repair the road at its own cost.
A protective structure outside a tunnel portal on the Tejajinagar-Balwara section also partially collapsed. A show-cause notice was issued to the concessionaire.
In Maharashtra, the top slabs of box culverts collapsed at two locations on NH-160 in May and June 2026.
The contractor was fined Rs 75 lakh and ordered to rebuild the structures. The Authority's engineer was penalised Rs 12.5 lakh.
In Uttar Pradesh, the foundation of a major bridge being built over the Gomti River in Jaunpur tilted and shifted beyond permissible limits.
The government began the process of terminating the agreement with the contractor and selecting another agency to complete the project.
In another project in the state, a reinforcement cage collapsed on workers during the construction of a viaduct pier. The government's casualty list confirmed that two workers were killed.
Cracking and honeycombing were also detected in the concrete deck of the Biharigarh elevated structure on the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. Repair work was taken up.
In West Bengal, a retaining wall collapsed on the six-laning project between Palsit and Dankuni on NH-19. Toll collection was suspended and two personnel linked to the engineering consultant and concessionaire were also suspended.
Other incidents included the collapse of a 10-metre retaining structure in Karnataka, wall blocks falling from a highway approach in Tamil Nadu and a section of road surface slipping in Meghalaya.
Penalties Over Rs 349 Crore
The monetary penalties specified in the government's broader list add up to at least Rs 349 crore.
The actual financial impact could be higher as the total does not include fines calculated as a percentage of project costs, contractor-funded repairs, suspended toll collection, or losses linked to contract termination and blacklisting.
The largest specified penalty was Rs 134.78 crore, imposed on a contractor in Telangana over a project reported in 2022.
It was followed by the Rs 119-crore penalty in Madhya Pradesh, more than Rs 31 crore in penalties in Kerala and a Rs 25-crore fine imposed on a contractor in Bihar.
Contractors and consultants were suspended, blacklisted or barred from bidding in several states. In many cases, they were also ordered to repair or reconstruct damaged infrastructure at their own cost.
The ministry said 11 officers were removed from service following performance assessments. Disciplinary action was also taken against 11 officers for negligence, dereliction of duty and other reasons.
