'New Roads Crumble Within Days, Threaten Lives': PIL In MP High Court Seeks Quality Testing Of Material Used By Contractors; Notice Issued

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday (November 10) issued notice on a PIL highlighting the alarming deterioration of roads across the State, marked by potholes, cracks, and structural failures that have turned "routine travel into a life-threatening ordeal" for citizens.

The petition, filed by Rajendra Singh, sought directions against the concerned authorities to frame and enforce strict guidelines regarding the quality, testing, and certification of materials used by contractors in the construction and repair of roads across the State.

According to the petition, the worsening condition of the roads stands as a symbol of administrative apathy and systemic negligence, resulting in avoidable accidents and loss of innocent lives. The plea asserted that the newly constructed roads often begin to crumble within months of construction, exposing deep flaws in material quality, project execution and post-construction maintenance practices. 

The petition also referred to the Road Quality and Mean Speed Score, 2022, reported by the International Monetary Fund, which recorded an average mean speed of 58 km/h, reflecting the poor travel efficiency between major cities despite a vast physical network of roads. 

It further highlighted that 14.47% of the total number of accidents in 2022- 2023 were linked to defective road designs, sharp curves, potholes, and steep gradients, while MP ranked second nationally in total road accidents reported between 2020 and 2023. 

The plea also referred to the State's Lok Path website and mobile application to enable citizens to report road defects. However, the plea stated that these platforms have proved ineffective and limited in scope, with little follow-up action on reported complaints. 

Alleging administrative inefficiency and lack of accountability, the petition stated that the selective maintenance coverage by the PWD and the poor quality of remedial work defeat the very purpose of citizen participation and public oversight. 

Considering the submissions, the division bench of the Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf directed; 

"Issue notice. Notice is accepted by learned counsel appearing for respondents No.1 to 3 and 6. Notice shall issue to respondents No.4 and 5; returnable in the week commencing 14.12.2025". 

The case was listed for December 14, 2025. 

Case Title: Rajendra Singh v Union [WP-43729-2025]

For Petitioner: Advocate Abhinav Malhotra 

For Union: Advocate Arnav Tiwari

For NHAI: Advocate Utkarsh Agrawal

For State: Government Advocate Anubhav Jain

Click here to read/download the Order