Monsoon damages 143 km of National Highway stretches across 20 states; over 32,000 NH road deaths in 2026

Himachal Pradesh saw the greatest extent of damage to National Highway (NH) and National Expressway (NE) stretches during this monsoon, while 77,234 road accidents occurred on national highways till 27 July, according to data shared by Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday in Parliament.

The accident data underlines the human cost of road crashes on national highways, with more than 32,000 fatalities already recorded in the first seven months of 2026.

The southwest monsoon has caused significant damage to stretches of national highways and national expressways across 20 states and Union territories, with Himachal Pradesh emerging as the worst affected, according to data presented by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways in Parliament.

More than 143 km of NH and NE stretches had been significantly damaged due to heavy rainfall, landslides, flooding or erosion during the 2026 southwest monsoon season, as per Gadkari's answer to an unstarred question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.

States/UTs-wise details of NHs/NEs stretches damaged amid Monsoon

Himachal Pradesh saw the greatest extent of damage at 27,221 metres, followed by Chhattisgarh with 21,390 metres and Maharashtra with 13,338 metres.

Uttarakhand recorded damage across 13,126 metres of highway stretches, while Jammu and Kashmir reported 10,115 metres. Arunachal Pradesh and Assam recorded 8,965 metres and 8,325 metres, respectively.

Other states reporting significant damage included Gujarat (6,000 metres), Odisha (5,400 metres), West Bengal (3,838 metres), Mizoram (3,775 metres), Andhra Pradesh (3,500 metres), Sikkim (8,414 metres), Kerala (1,751 metres), Manipur (1,551 metres), Nagaland and Tripura (1,390 metres each), Telangana (1,160 metres), Meghalaya (1,180 metres) and Karnataka (1,130 metres).

89,560 injuries on NHs so far this year

National highways also record thousands of fatalities.

The monsoon-related damage comes against the backdrop of a persistent road safety challenge on national highways.

In response to an unstarred question by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose on Wednesday, Gadkari provided data showing that 77,234 road accidents were reported on national highways between 1 January and 27 July 2026. These crashes resulted in 32,771 deaths and 89,560 injuries, according to provisional Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) data.

The figures for the previous two years were substantially higher in absolute terms. In 2025, national highways recorded 143,526 accidents, 62,122 fatalities and 160,224 injuries, while 2024 saw 150,958 accidents, 64,772 deaths and 145,868 injuries.

The 2026 figures cover only the period up to 27 July and are provisional.

Monsoon 2026: Which states recorded the most damage?

Among the states listed by the ministry, Himachal Pradesh accounted for the largest extent of significantly damaged highway stretches. The state's mountainous terrain makes its road network particularly vulnerable to landslides, flooding and erosion during periods of intense rainfall.

Chhattisgarh followed with more than 21 km of affected stretches, while Maharashtra reported over 13 km of significant damage. Uttarakhand, another mountainous state, recorded more than 13 km of affected highway stretches.

The ministry's data covers damage caused by multiple monsoon-related factors, including heavy rainfall, landslides, flooding and erosion, highlighting the varied risks facing the country's highway network during the rainy season.