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The central government has issued detailed guidelines to enhance safety and planning in road tunnel projects after several collapses, including the Uttarkashi incident in 2023. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways now requires a risk register and a Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) at the planning stage, which must be shared with bidders during tendering. Authorities overseeing tunnel projects are accountable at all stages, supported by expert teams covering design, execution, and safety. These steps aim to reduce disputes, improve project transparency, and ensure accurate risk assessment throughout the project lifecycle.
Following multiple tunnel collapses in recent years, including the Uttarkashi rescue operation in 2023 involving 41 workers, the central government has mandated stricter safety and planning protocols for all road tunnel projects. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued guidelines that require a risk register to be prepared during the planning phase. The ministry stated that these collapses highlighted the need to reassess current construction practices and implement measures to prevent recurrence. Advertisement
The guidelines specify that a Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) must be prepared using geological, geophysical, and geotechnical investigations. These reports will define expected ground conditions, allowing authorities and contractors to plan accurately and reduce the likelihood of unexpected incidents. Both the risk register and GBR must be provided to bidders at the time of tendering, ensuring transparency and uniform understanding of project challenges.
Authorities overseeing tunnel projects are now fully accountable for every stage of planning and execution. They must appoint expert teams to provide ongoing support in areas including contract management, design, execution, safety, and geotechnical assessment. Consultants, contractors, and engineers have defined, time-bound responsibilities to ensure that work proceeds according to approved methods.
During construction, authorization from authority engineers and independent engineers is mandatory for excavation, support installation, monitoring, and other critical activities. The guidelines note that deviations from the baseline report may be treated as changes in project scope, reinforcing the importance of meticulous planning. These measures aim to prevent structural failures, improve risk management, and minimize disputes that can arise from misinterpretation of site conditions.
By formalizing responsibility, providing detailed geological insights, and ensuring risk awareness, the government expects tunnel projects to be safer, more predictable, and better managed. The move reflects lessons learned from past collapses and aims to set a standard for transparency and accountability in future infrastructure development.
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