NHAI Launches Pilot Real-Time Stray Cattle Safety Alert System on National Highways

In an effort to ensure that road safety concerns are addressed and issues are greatly reduced incidents involving sudden animal incursion particularly in the foggy or low-visibility weather conditions, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is undertaking a pioneering pilot project that would provide commuters with real-time information on the stray cattle movement along critical corridors of the National Highways. The launch will be a significant move towards integrating telecom technology and road safety of a growing highway network in India.

Under this programme, NHAI is carrying out the pilot on Jaipur to Agra and Jaipur to Rewari National Highway networks, a stretch considered risky positions of cattle movement by the previous accident record and field level contributions. Under the initiative, alerts will be given in the form of location-based alerts of about 10 km prior to these sections identified to allow the motorists the essential lead time in order to slow down and drive safely.

The system works out of a two step alert system where commuters are sent a Flash SMS written in Hindi indicating to them an approaching area of cattle prone zone – “आगे आवारा पशु ग्रस्त क्षेत्र है। कृपया धीरे और सावधानी से चलें” (Cattle prone zone ahead). This is succeeded by a voice alert that is carrying the same message. The programme will ensure effectiveness and will cause alert fatigue since there is a period of 30 minutes during which the user is not likely to receive repeated messages.

The implementation of this pilot has been made possible in a joint partnership between NHAI and telecom services especially through Reliance Jio upgrading its platform to provide real time delivery of alerts along the highway network. The alerts do not need major new equipment on the roadside equipment, and can be deployed in a limited amount of time and scale due to the support of improved Telecom infrastructure.

The NHAI underlines the fact that such an initiative is a component of its overall effort to enhance road safety and traveller experience, which is associated with the Road Safety Month 2026. According to the pilot results, NHAI will test and possibly implement the alert system to other cattle prone areas in the country.

Experts affirm that the project will solve an endemic problem on the Indian highways where stray cattle are the leading cause of accidents especially in nighttime and bad weather. Using digital alerts, the authorities will strive to increase awareness of drivers and proactive avoidance of hazards without necessarily using physical measures.

The pilot signifies a great change in the direction of technology-based road safety measures, whereby data-based risk mapping and mobile networks are used to keep commuters and livestock safe. Should they be successful, other hazard warnings, such as fog, accident-prone routes, and emergency diversions, can follow the model.

Bookmark Logistics News Website