Toll Revenue Soars as Pothole Fatalities Spike on MP Highways
In a stark contrast between revenue generation and road safety, toll collection on national highways in Madhya Pradesh has doubled over four years, while the number of deaths in accidents caused by potholes has tripled during the same period. This alarming trend underscores a critical infrastructure and maintenance issue in the state.
Financial and Human Cost Escalates Simultaneously
According to official data, Madhya Pradesh paid Rs 2,178.19 crore as toll on national highways in the fiscal year 2020-21. In that same year, potholes on these highways claimed 96 lives. Fast forward to 2024-25, the toll paid skyrocketed to Rs 4,188.15 crore, marking a doubling of revenue. However, the human cost surged even more dramatically, with at least 277 people dying due to potholes in 2024 alone, tripling the earlier figure.
This translates to a grim reality: every second day, potholes on national highways claim a life in Madhya Pradesh, while close to Rs 23 crore in toll is collected every two days. The simultaneous rise in both metrics points to a failure in translating increased financial inflows into improved road safety measures.
National Context and Government Data
Madhya Pradesh accounted for 969 out of 9,438 deaths across India attributed to potholes on roads from 2020 to 2024, as informed by the road transport ministry. This places MP as the second-worst state in the country for pothole-related fatalities, trailing only Uttar Pradesh, which recorded 5,127 deaths in the same period.
Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari shared these distressing statistics on road accidents, fatalities, and injuries caused by potholes in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on February 12. Additionally, information on the total toll collection was provided by Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on February 11.
Political Embarrassment and Infrastructure Challenges
The MP government faced significant embarrassment when, during a visit to the state on November 7, 2022, Minister Gadkari expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of highway construction. He publicly apologized from the stage for the inconvenience caused to residents of Mandla and surrounding areas and directed officials to repair existing work on national highways.
Data on road accidents, fatalities, and injuries due to potholes suggests there has been no improvement in the situation since then, highlighting ongoing neglect in maintenance despite the surge in toll revenue.
Infrastructure Overview and Future Projects
Madhya Pradesh boasts over 9,300 kilometers of national highways, yet the state's road density remains lower than the national average. While India's road density stands at 201.28 km per 100 sq km, MP has a density of 162.20 km per 100 sq km, according to state government figures.
In a bid to enhance connectivity, the Union government sanctioned road projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore for Madhya Pradesh as of August last year. Of these, works worth Rs 75,000 crore have been completed, projects worth Rs 65,000 crore are currently in progress, and initiatives covering nearly 2,500 km, valued at Rs 1.5 lakh crore, are under preparation for Detailed Project Reports (DPR).
The disparity between rising toll collections and escalating pothole deaths calls for urgent attention to road maintenance and safety protocols to prevent further loss of life on Madhya Pradesh's highways.
