SRINAGAR: The Union Government has informed Parliament that Jammu and Kashmir recorded one case of major structural failure on a National Highway project since 2014, resulting in the blacklisting of the contractor, while repeated landslides triggered by cloudbursts and heavy rainfall have continued to disrupt traffic on the Union Territory’s key highway corridors.
Replying to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said one National Highway project in Jammu and Kashmir suffered major structural damage in 2022. The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor was penalised 1 per cent of the project cost and blacklisted under the provisions of the contract agreement.
The ministry said the action formed part of nationwide enforcement against contractors and concessionaires responsible for highway failures. Across India, executing agencies have imposed financial penalties running into crores of rupees, terminated contracts, suspended key personnel, debarred contractors and blacklisted defaulting agencies wherever deficiencies were established.
The reply also highlights that Jammu and Kashmir figured among the states and Union Territories reporting major landslide incidents on National Highways during 2025 and 2026, particularly along the strategic NH-44 corridor.
According to the ministry, the Udhampur-Ramban section of NH-44 witnessed landslides caused by cloudbursts and heavy rainfall at Bali Nallah and Tharad in 2025, along with muck and slush accumulation at Karol and Kowbagh. In 2026, a massive landslide near Dewal, Samroli (Km 79) blocked both carriageways and damaged a retaining wall before restoration and clearance works were completed.
On the Ramban-Banihal stretch of NH-44, the ministry reported that a cloudburst in 2025 caused heavy slush and debris at Seri, muck accumulation inside Tunnel T-2, and a landslide at Kela Mor. Another landslide blocked both carriageways in 2026, following which traffic was restored after clearance operations.
The government further reported a landslide at Marog on the Ramban-Banihal section of NH-44 during 2025, while multiple landslides were also recorded on the Chenani-Sudhmahadev Road (NH-244) during the same year.
The ministry clarified that while drainage systems and hill protection measures are incorporated during highway design, extreme weather events such as cloudbursts, unprecedented rainfall and landslides continue to damage highway infrastructure, particularly in the Himalayan region.
It also noted that no case of flooding of low-lying areas or agricultural fields due to faulty National Highway construction was reported from Jammu and Kashmir in the state-wise data placed before Parliament. Only three such major incidents were listed nationwide, involving stretches in Telangana and Maharashtra.
The Centre said it has strengthened disaster resilience on National Highways in hilly states and Union Territories through a series of policy measures, including improved slope stabilisation, mandatory quality assurance for rockfall mitigation, real-time landslide monitoring, better DPR preparation, and collaborations with specialised institutions such as the Geological Survey of India, Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment, National Institute of Rock Mechanics and IIT Roorkee.
