30/04/2026
Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, today participated in national level workshop titled “Landslide Mitigation Measures for Resilient Hill Roads" organized by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The event brought together leading international and national domain experts from government, academia, and industry to address the critical challenges of ensuring safe and sustainable road connectivity across India’s hilly regions.
In his special address, Shri Nitin Gadkari emphasized the government's unwavering commitment to building stronger, safer, and future-ready roads. He highlighted the importance of visionary leadership in driving the nation’s infrastructure growth, particularly in strategically vital and ecologically sensitive areas.
The inaugural session was also attended by:
• Shri Ajay Tamta Ji, Hon’ble Minister of State, Road Transport and Highways.
• Shri Harsh Malhotra Ji, Hon’ble Minister of State, Road Transport and Highways and Corporate Affairs
• Shri V. Umashankar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Shri Vinay Kumar Rajawat, DG(RD) &SS, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• Shri Krishan Kumar, Managing Director, NHIDCL
Along with other senior officials of MoRTH, NHAI and NHIDCL
The workshop showcased various innovative technology interventions currently being implemented across the country:
• Advanced Materials: The use of Geo-synthetics in states like Nagaland and Sikkim, Waste Plastic roads in Manipur, and Cement Treated Bases (CTB) across the North-Eastern Region (NER).
• Modern Construction: Adoption of Modular Bridges in Manipur and Ultra High Concrete to enhance durability and reduce costs.
• Spatial Technology: Integration of Drone-based LiDAR for 3D monitoring and Satellite-based Remote Sensing for macro-level hazard mapping and landslide-prone zone identification.
The workshop featured technical presentations from domain experts from premier institutions IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee and representatives from Geobrugg, Maccaferri, Techfab, and THDCIL, focusing on cost-effective long-term remedial measures and predictive risk monitoring. The Sessions emphasized global certifications, numerical modelling of rainfall-induced instabilities, quality control in slope protection.
The workshop concluded with a call for a pragmatic approach to contract administration and the adoption of specialized preventive slope protection mechanisms. Experts agreed that resilient hill infrastructure demands deeper investigations, hazard mapping at the project preparation stage, and continuous skill development for the workforce.