New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Test House to strengthen NHAI quality assurance mechanisms in National Highway projects through independent and third-party testing.
NHAI Member (Projects) Vipensh Sharma and National Test House Director General Dr Alok Kumar Srivastava signed the MoU at the NHAI headquarters in New Delhi. NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Bharat Khera were present, along with senior officials from both organisations.
Under the agreement, NTH will conduct independent testing of construction materials, components and systems used in National Highway projects. The initiative aims to ensure strict adherence to prescribed standards, technical specifications and regulatory requirements across all projects.
Officials said the partnership would reinforce quality control processes and improve transparency and accountability during project execution. The collaboration also seeks to bring uniformity and standardisation in testing practices nationwide.
As part of the MoU, NTH will test and certify materials and products in line with specifications issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Bureau of Indian Standards codes and relevant international standards.
NHAI quality assurance to get technical support and capacity building
The agreement also provides for technical support to NHAI headquarters, regional offices and project implementation units. NTH will offer expert testing, evaluation and technical opinions in complex and critical cases during project execution.
In addition, the collaboration will support NHAI’s initiatives on road safety and sustainability. Officials said special focus would be placed on the performance, reliability and energy efficiency of safety-critical infrastructure, including roadway lighting systems.
The MoU also envisages institutional collaboration through training programmes for NHAI officers and other stakeholders. It includes capacity building initiatives and the sharing of best practices in material testing, quality assurance and infrastructure management.
Officials said associating with a nationally recognised testing institution would further strengthen NHAI quality assurance systems. They added that the partnership reaffirmed NHAI’s commitment to delivering reliable, safe and world-class National Highway infrastructure across the country.
