admin
Last Updated:
Ranked as the 22nd longest highway in the world, it runs north to south across India, linking key cities and industrial hubs, earning its reputation as the nation’s lifeline
63 people died in accidents on the 30-kilometre section of the National Highway in Delhi, averaging two fatalities per kilometre. (Representative Image/PTI)
As India’s road infrastructure rapidly expands with a growing network of highways and expressways, a troubling trend has emerged—rising accidents due to reckless driving. Amid this, one highway has earned the grim distinction of being the most unsafe in the country.
According to a report by the Times of India, the Haryana-Delhi section of National Highway-44, which connects Srinagar to Kanyakumari, is the most unsafe. This stretch includes 266 kilometres in Haryana and 30 kilometres in Delhi. In 2023, 715 people lost their lives in road accidents on the 266-kilometre section in Haryana, averaging three deaths per kilometre. Similarly, 63 people died in accidents on the 30-kilometre section in Delhi, averaging two fatalities per kilometre.
According to the report, officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) revealed that SaveLife Foundation, under a memorandum of understanding with the ministry, has assessed and ranked 100 highway stretches across the country.
“The organisation has used govt data, including the new Integrated Road Accident Database, to arrive at the findings. After carrying out detailed analysis, corrective measures are being taken to reduce the number of accidents,” an NHAI official was quoted as saying in the Times of India report.
India’s Longest National Highway
National Highway 44, the country’s longest national highway, starts from Srinagar in Kashmir and ends in Kanyakumari, stretching a total of 4,112 kilometres. Formerly known as National Highway 7, NH 44 symbolises India’s commitment to development and connectivity. As the 22nd longest highway in the world, it spans the entire country from north to south, connecting numerous places and industrial towns, thus serving as the nation’s lifeline.
NH 44 traverses 11 states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and passes through major cities such as Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Delhi, Agra, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Madurai and Kanyakumari. It also goes through several revered pilgrimage sites, including Rishikesh, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Chamoli, Joshimath and Badrinath.
- First Published:
