‘Why no highway surveillance cameras?’ Supreme Court questions NHAI, flags parked vehicles and encroachments
SC flags highway encroachments; asks NHAI why CCTV can't be installed at toll plazas.
The Supreme Court questioned the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) about the lack of surveillance cameras and monitoring rooms along highways to address issues of encroachment and stationary vehicles. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, hearing a suo motu case, noted that these two problems are significant.
The NHAI's counsel stated that circulars have been issued for regular inspection and patrolling to prevent unauthorized parking. However, the bench emphasized that installing a camera surveillance system and monitoring rooms would help tackle these issues. Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, representing the NHAI as an amicus curiae, agreed that illegal parking is a major concern, leading to road accidents.
The bench requested the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Tamil Nadu government to file compliance affidavits within two weeks. The case was postponed to October 6, with the Tamil Nadu government required to file an affidavit before the next hearing date. In November 2022, the court intervened in a tragic accident in Rajasthan's Phalodi, where a tempo traveller collided with a stationary trailer truck, claiming 15 lives.
The court had previously issued interim directions to prevent heavy or commercial vehicles from parking on national highways and prohibited the construction of new dhabas, eateries, or commercial structures within their right of way.
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