| Category | Managing Authority | Length (km) |
|---|---|---|
| National highways | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | 151,000 |
| State highways | Public works department of state/union territory | 186,528 |
| District Roads | Public works department of state/union territory | 632,154 |
| Rural roads | Panchayats and PMGSY | 4,535,511 |
Why are roads so important?
Roads are also important because of the disturbances that drive along them. Traffic increases noise levels, causes road kill, and increases the vulnerability of game species by providing access for hunting and poaching. Roads present a physical barrier to migration and dispersal.
Why is it called a highway?
The word highway goes back to the elevated Roman roads that had a mound or hill formed by earth from the side ditches thrown toward the centre, thus high way. The word street originates with the Latin strata (initially, “paved”) and later strata via (“a way paved with stones”).