A substantial periodic maintenance (structural & functional overlays) and rehabilitation programme was approved under AMPs for the fiscal years 2015-16 & 2016-17. However, due to delay in procurement of these contracts, the work could not be executed within respective financial year. An amount of Rs 21.269 billion has been reserved in the AMP 2017-18 to meet the carry forward works of previous years' annual maintenance plans, maintained the documents.
The NHA is responsible for maintenance and operation of nearly all major inter-provincial roads; therefore, strenuous efforts are required to uplift the level of service to provide better communication links.
The total length of roads, which was 229,595 kilometres in 1996-97, increased to 264,401 kilometres by 2016-17, shows an increase of 15.1 percent. This includes NHA network of around 12,131 kilometres, which despite being merely 4.6% of the overall road network takes 80% of Pakistan's commercial traffic. With growth in traffic volume/axle load levels and inadequate/untimely maintenance, this precious asset is deteriorating at an alarming rate.
The sources said the NHA should ensure preservation of its network, which is not only an asset worth hundreds of billions of rupees but it is also absolutely vital to the growth of national economy. However, substantial gap in maintenance needs/ resources remains a major impediment.
The NHA achieved some success in previous years by gradually increasing the quality of maintenance through periodic overlays, provision of rigid pavements at places of rutting, replacement/rehab of dilapidated bridges, geometric improvements, urban area development including provision of facilities like service lanes, lighting, bus bays, parking lots, underpasses, overhead bridges, flyovers, fencing, etc, through toll revenue and commercialization of its RoW.
The present average network roughness is 4.40 IRI (for surveyed length of 10,686 mm), which shows decrease this year as compared to previous year's results ie 4.49 IRI (year 2015) & 5.65 IRI (year 2014). The main reason for significant decrease in IRI is that about 2,195 kilometres network was improved through periodic maintenance and rehabilitation schemes approved under AMPs (AMP 2012-13 to AMP 2014-15).
Further, improvement of 1,423 kilometres road length through schemes approved under AMPs 2015-16 & 2016-17 will further reduce the average network IRI. It is envisaged that after execution and completion of works under AMP 2017-18, the average road roughness would further decrease.
In order to maintain and upkeep the highway network, the NHA requires more funds than available under Annual Maintenance Plan 2017-18 as per Highway Development and Management (HDM-4) analysis. However, as per available revenue envelope, the AMP for fiscal year 2017-18 amounting to Rs 27.263 billion has been prepared. In addition to this, funds for previous years AMPs carry forward amounting to Rs 21.269 billion have been catered for under this year AMP.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017