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Centre Starts Process To Buy 600 Hand Baggage Scanners For Airports, To Screen Bags Without Removing Electronic Devices

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The era of long queues at airports, where air travelers have to tediously extract their laptops, mobile phones, and chargers from their cabin baggage for screening purposes, may soon be a thing of the pas

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), after a considerable delay, has initiated the implementation of state-of-the-art equipment that will enable the screening of hand bags without removing electronic devices.

As part of this, the AAI has floated global tenders to procure 600 new hand-baggage scanners at a cost of Rs 246 crore.

The Scope of work includes supply, installation, testing and commissioning of Dual View Registered Baggage and Hand Baggage X-Ray Baggage Inspection (XBIS) at various Airports in India with one-year onsite warranty.

A total of 43 airports run by the Airports Authority of India will be covered by these 600 new-age scanners which includes Amritsar, Goa, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Varanasi, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Raipur, Tirupati, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Gorakhpur and Port Blair, among others.

Dual-view XBIS system

An advanced dual-view XBIS system uses proven X-ray technology for better automated detection of solid and liquid explosives in personal belongings and cabin baggage.

The Dual-View provides security screening personnel with the ability to see two views from scanning the object just once. That’s because two views from different angles (usually from the top and the side) are taken as the object passes through the X-Ray security screening device.

An added bonus is that it can also ensure better passenger experience because they don’t have to take out their electronic devices.

December 2023 Deadline

The move to procure dual-view scanners comes amidst an order by the aviation security watchdog, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), asking all major airports to upgrade baggage X-ray machines by end of 2023 so that passengers will not have to remove electronic devices during screening of handbags.

The BCAS has made adoption of CTX, an X-Ray Baggage Inspection System based on Computed Tomography (CT), for screening of cabin and hand baggage mandatory for all airports with more than 50 lakh annual passenger traffic by 31 December 2023.

A total of approximately 25 airports fall within this category . Further all new terminals and airports will be required to have these machines from the first day.

First Off The Blocks: Bids Invited For Setting Up 4.5 Lakh MT Green Hydrogen Production Facility

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The Union government on Monday invited bids to select green hydrogen producers for setting up 450,000 metric tonnes per annum production facilities.

The tender, issued under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme, is first such tender for developing hydrogen production centres as envisaged under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), is the implementing agency for the scheme.

Green Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertiliser), steel, refineries and electricity.

The energy industry refers to different ‘types’ of hydrogen to differentiate how it is produced. Although the production of hydrogen remains primarily ‘grey’ at the moment, the future of hydrogen is ‘green’.

The vast majority of industrial hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas through a conventional process known as steam methane reforming (SMR). The standard SMR process produces what is known as Grey Hydrogen and has the major disadvantage of releasing large quantities of by-product CO2 into the atmosphere — the main culprit for climate change.

Grey hydrogen has increasingly been produced also from coal, with significantly higher CO2 emissions per unit of hydrogen produced so much that it is often called brown or black hydrogen instead of grey.

The diverse pathways to produce hydrogen mean we can produce it using renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. That makes green hydrogen the cleanest option — hydrogen from renewable energy sources without CO2 as a by-product.

Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced via electrolysis, the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. This is the most environmentally sustainable way of producing hydrogen.

Pathways-Based Bidding

According to the bid documents, the green hydrogen producers (GHP) shall be eligible to set up production facilities under two ways, namely, technology agnostic pathways (TAP) and biomass based pathways (BBP).

Under the TAP, there will be 4.10 lakh MT per annum of Green Hydrogen available for bidding, while under the BBP Bucket, 40,000 MT per annum of Green Hydrogen will be available.

The total capacity to be allocated to a bidder shall be limited between 10,000-90,000 tonnes per year for ‘technology agnostic’ pathways and 500-4,000 tonnes per year for ‘biomass-based pathways’, with the maximum allocation to a single bidder restricted to 90,000 MT per annum.

The production facilities awarded under this tender will be eligible for getting direct incentive by SECI in terms of rupees per kg of green hydrogen production on annual basis for a period of three years from the date of commencement of green hydrogen production.

The maximum time allowed for commissioning of the production facilities in both the pathways has been kept at 30 months from the date of the letter of award.

Delhi-Meerut Expressway: TUV Crash Claims Six Lives As School Bus Heads In Wrong Direction

By
Amit Mishra
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0

In a major accident in Ghaziabad Tuesday (11 July) morning, at least six people were killed in a collision between a car and a bus on Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

Officials said that the incident took place on the lane going from Lalkuan to Delhi on NH 9 near the Crossing Republic Police Station area.

The accident occurred at around 6 am when a TUV car collided with a school bus which was coming from the wrong direction after getting CNG from Ghazipur in Delhi. The TUV was coming from Meerut’s direction and was on its way to Gurugram.

“Six people died on the spot, and two are critically injured. The accident was the fault of the bus driver, as he was coming from the wrong direction all the way from Delhi. He has been nabbed”, said Additional DCP (traffic) Ramanand Kushwaha.

“The occupants of the car were members of the same family. There was no student on the bus” he added.

A video of the accident was captured on a CCTV camera.

The tragic crash was so severe that the TUV got entirely crushed, trapping the dead bodies in the car. A huge crowd of people was also seen on the spot after the accident. According to the information received, a dead body had to be pulled out of the car by cutting the gate with a cutter.

Meanwhile,  dead bodies have been sent for postmortem.

Mumbai: Three Bids For Construction of Twin Tunnels Beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park In GMLR Project

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received three bids for the construction of two underground tunnels as part of the Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project.

The 12.2 km-long GMLR, will connect Goregaon in the western suburbs with Mulund in the eastern suburbs through a serious of arterial roads, underground tunnels and bridges.

Afcons Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro, NCC – J Kumar Infraprojects JV are the three firms which have submitted their bids for constructing 4.7 km twin tunnels of the GMLR project.

It was in October 2022, that the BMC had floated tenders for construction of twin tunnels. But owing to requests from bidders, the submission deadline had to be extended multiple times.

“There were many requests from potential bidders to extend the deadline. Also, factors pertaining to forest department’s permission and receiving environmental clearances also mandated certain parameters for which we had to rework on the plan that eventually led to the delay,” P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) told Indian Express.

The bids will now undergo technical evaluation and the bidder who will get the work order will be finalised by end of July.

“At present we are evaluating the bids that have been submitted by these three firms and the firm which will get the work order will be finalised by end of this month,” Velrasu told Express.

Twin Tunnels

As part of the futuristic GMLR project, the BMC has envisaged a twin tunnel below Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), the only national park in the world to be located within a metropolitan area.

Twin Tunnel Project, GMLR

The 4.7 km long tunnel will start at Film City at Goregaon and exit at Khindipada at Mulund. The tunnel with a diameter of around 13 metre, will have a depth varying between 20 and 160 metre, depending on the surrounding topography.

The tunneling works for the project will be done using the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and the tunnel will be equipped with advanced ventilation, lighting systems, and electric surveillance.

GMLR Project

The Goregaon Mulund Link Road project envisages creating an east-west corridor for traffic movement, connecting Western Express Highway (WEH) at Goregaon and Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at Mulund.

Currently, there is no direct connectivity between these areas, and commuters have to take a detour from either Ghodbunder Road in Thane or Powai. Both these roads remain gridlocked during peak hours.

The entire project has been divided into four phases and at present the first and second phase is on, which includes construction of flyovers, traffic interchanges, widening of existing roads and creating traffic interchanges.

Alignment of GMLR Project

The work on the twin tunnels, being built under the third phase, may start before end of this year. The period for construction of the twin tunnels is estimated to be around four years as it involves complex works, said a BMC official.

The cost of the twin tunnels is estimated at Rs 6,300 crore, while the overall project cost exceeds Rs 8,550 crore.

Thane-Borivali Tunnel Project

Notably, this will be the second tunnel project under SGNP after the 11.84 km Thane-Borivali twin tunnel project further up north.

The Thane-Borivali tunnel project is also a part of the Goregaon Mulund Link Road project and includes 10.8 km of twin tunnels and another km of approach roads on both ends (Thane and Borivali).

Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel

Earlier in May 2023, Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) bagged two separate packages to build the ambitious Thane-Borivali twin tunnel project for a total bid of Rs 14,400 crore.

This includes the construction of 5.75 km tunnel from the Borivali side in Package 1 and 6.09 km tunnel from the Thane side in Package 2.

Starting 1 October, Cars To Get Star Rating Based On Crash Test Performance

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The manufacturer or the importer shall bear the cost of the motor vehicle for the purpose of assessment as well as the cost of the assessment.

The Union government has issued draft notification on Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP), which proposes awarding ‘Star Ratings’ to automobiles based on their performance in crash tests.

“The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme shall be applicable on the Type Approved vehicles of category M1, manufactured or imported in the country as specified in the Programme made by the Central Government in this regard,” the draft notification issued by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways said.

Bharat NCAP

The government aims to bring the programme into effect from 1 October 2023.

Bharat NCAP

BNCAP is designed to provide a fair, meaningful and objective assessment of crash safety performance of cars on the basis of standard laboratory tests as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197 .

BNCAP shall be a voluntary programme, except otherwise stated in the vehicle selection guideline monitored by the ministry.

The overall assessment is based on the performance of the vehicle model when evaluated under three areas of assessment, namely, Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), Child Occupant Protection (COP), and Safety Assist Technologies (SAT).

Procedure

Under BNCAP, manufacturers or importers of motor vehicles will be required to submit an application in FORM 70-A to the agency designated by the central government. This agency will get the vehicle star rated in accordance with the AIS-197, as amended from time to time.

The manufacturer or the importer shall bear the cost of the motor vehicle for the purpose of assessment as well as the cost of the assessment.

“The designated agency shall select any of the testing agencies, referred to in Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, for the assessment of the vehicles selected in sub-rule. The manufacturer or importer shall send the selected vehicles to the selected testing agency. The testing agency shall evaluate the vehicles as per AIS-197 and submit the assessment report to the designated agency as per FORM 70-B,” the draft said.

The star rating of the vehicle shall be uploaded on the designated portal by the designated agency.

Mumbai: Over 73 Per Cent Of 4,929 Pillars Erected For Six Upcoming Metro Lines

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 73 per cent of the pillar work on the upcoming six new Mumbai Metro lines in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR).

Out of the total 4,929 pillars for the six metro lines, a total of 3,603 pillars have been successfully erected by the authority. These pillars serve as the foundation for the extensive 113-km-long metro network.

According to the MMRDA, pillars for most of the lines are 50 per cent complete.

This includes 614 out of 1,109 pillars on Metro 2B (D N Nagar-Mandale); 973 out of 1,476 and 143 out of 221 pillars on Metro-4 and 4A (Wadala-Kasarvadavali) respectively; 440 out of 464 pillars on Metro-5 Phase-I (Thane-Bhiwandi); 657 out of 768 pillars on Metro-6 (Swami Samarth Nagar-Vikhroli) and 776 out of 900 pillars on Metro-9 (Dahisar-Mira Bhayander).

Minimising Inconvenience To Commuter

However, their construction has caused inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians due to road closures and disruptions.

“The construction of the elevated Metro, along with the heavy traffic issue and other activities is ongoing. There are challenges and numerous uncertainties that we encounter during construction. Most of the work is carried out during the night to minimise traffic disturbance and ensure safety,” said an MMRDA official.

To minimise inconvenience, pre-case elements such as pier caps, U-girders, and I-girders are produced at different casting yards, transported to the location during the night time and then, erected at specific sites using cranes with capacities ranging from 350 MT to 500 MT.

The MMRDA has prioritised the completion of all Mumbai Metro corridors as quickly as possible.

Once the entire metro network is finished, it is expected to bring about significant changes in the travel patterns of Mumbaikars, benefiting daily commuters and tourists alike.

Centre Approves Draft Notification To Mandate Air Conditioning In Truck Cabins

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The Union government has approved the draft notification to mandate the installation of air-conditioning systems in the cabins of trucks.

“Approved the draft notification to mandate the installation of air-conditioning systems in the cabins of trucks belonging to categories N2 and N3,” the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari tweeted on Thursday (6 June).

“Truck drivers play a crucial role in ensuring road safety. This decision marks a significant milestone in providing comfortable working conditions for truck drivers, thereby improving their efficiency and addressing the problem of driver fatigue,” said Gadkari.

Category N vehicles are motor vehicles having at least four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to the goods subject to conditions.

Earlier last month, Gadkari had first announced that he has approved a proposal to make it mandatory for truck manufacturers to provide AC cabins for drivers.

Speaking at an event, Gadkari said, “In our country, some drivers are behind wheels for 12 or 14 hours whereas in other countries, there is a restriction on the number of hours for bus and truck drivers to be on duty. Our drivers operate vehicles in temperatures of 43-47 degree temperature and we must imagine the condition of drivers.

“I was keen to introduce the AC cabin after I became minister. But some people opposed it saying the cost will go up. Today (Monday), I have signed the file that all truck cabins will be AC cabins,” he said then.

The new feature will be mandatory from 2025, officials said, citing that the industry needs around one-and-a-half years for introducing this provision. Currently, high-end trucks manufactured by companies have AC cabins for drivers.

While high-end trucks manufactured by global players such as Volvo and Scania already come with air conditioned cabins, almost all Indian players are yet to graduate despite a debate on the issue for several years.

Maharashtra Becomes First State To Announce Green Hydrogen Policy With An Outlay Of Rs 8,500 Crore; Here Are The Key Features

By
Amit Mishra
-
0

In a move to promote renewable energy, the Maharashtra state cabinet on Tuesday (4 July) approved the state’s Green Hydrogen Policy.

Maharashtra, thus, became the first state to announce a policy for green hydrogen — hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis using renewable energy.

The state cabinet also sanctioned a budget of Rs 8,562 crore for the implementation of the policy by way of subsidies and benefits to companies generating the green hydrogen.

The policy aims to “make Maharashtra a leader in green hydrogen and its derivatives ecosystem in the country”. The current hydrogen demand of the state is 0.52 million tonnes per annum and may reach 1.5 million tonnes by 2030.

The state policy is in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore from FY 2023-24 to FY 2029-30.

The overarching objective of the National Green Hydrogen Mission is to make India a global hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.

To achieve the above objectives, the Mission will build capabilities to produce at least 5 Million Metric Tonne (MMT) of Green Hydrogen per annum by 2030, with potential to reach 10 MMT per annum with growth of export markets.

Green Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertilizer), steel, refineries and electricity.

The energy industry refers to different ‘types’ of hydrogen to differentiate how it is produced. Although the production of hydrogen remains primarily ‘grey’ at the moment, the future of hydrogen is ‘green’.

The vast majority of industrial hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas through a conventional process known as steam methane reforming (SMR). The standard SMR process produces what is known as Grey Hydrogen and has the major disadvantage of releasing large quantities of by-product CO2 into the atmosphere – the main culprit for climate change.

Grey hydrogen has increasingly been produced also from coal, with significantly higher CO2 emissions per unit of hydrogen produced so much that it is often called brown or black hydrogen instead of grey.

The diverse pathways to produce hydrogen mean we can produce it using renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. That makes green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources without CO2 as a by-product.

Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced via electrolysis, the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. This is the most environmentally sustainable way of producing hydrogen

Key Features

  • The policy aims to incentivize projects that procure renewable energy through open access, whether from in-state or out-of-state power distribution companies, power exchanges, or for self-consumption.
  • According to the policy, there will be a 50 per cent concession in transmission charges and a 60 per cent concession in wheeling charges for the next ten years from the implementation of the project.
  • Standalone power plants will receive a 100 per cent concession in power tariff for the next ten years, while hybrid power plants will receive this concession for the next 15 years. Additionally, both types of plants will be exempted from cross subsidy and surcharge.
  • Projects related to green hydrogen production will also need to be registered with the Energy Office.
  • Land designated for green hydrogen projects will receive complete exemptions from local body tax, non-agricultural tax, and stamp duty.
  • A subsidy of Rs 50 per kg will be provided for blending green hydrogen into gas for a period of five years.
  • First 20 green hydrogen refueling stations will receive a 30 per cent capital cost subsidy, with a maximum limit of Rs 4.50 crore.
  • First 500 green hydrogen-based fuel cell passenger vehicles will be eligible for a capital cost subsidy of up to Rs 60 lakh per vehicle, subject to a 30 per cent subsidy.
  • Rs 4 crore per annum for ten years for recruitment of skilled manpower, their training, skill development, single window facility

PM Modi To Inaugurate Rs 521 Crore Railway Wagon Manufacturing Unit in Telangana, Ending State Vs Centre Tussle

By
Amit Mishra
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0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Warangal on 8 July, during which, he will lay the foundation stone for the ‘railway wagon manufacturing unit’ at Kazipet in Telangana.

To be developed at a cost of Rs 521 crore, the modern manufacturing unit will have a capacity to produce 100 wagons each month in the first year and could be scaled upto to 200 wagons a month from the second year.

State Vs Centre Tussle

The Indian Railways had originally planned a wagon overhauling unit plan in Andhra Pradesh. Though initially it was proposed at Secunderabad, it was later shifted to Kazipet as part of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, with a request for allotment of 160 acres.

The Kazipet unit, conceptualised as ‘periodic overhaul (POH) unit’ was meant to repair about 200 wagons per month.

The project could take off only last year, when Rail Vikas Nigam Limited awarded the tender for building wagon repair workshop at Kazipet to city-based Power Mech–Taikisha JV for a cost of Rs 361.79 crore.

However, until February 2023, the project remained a hot potato between the central government and the Telangana government with the latter demanding a full-fledged ‘coach manufacturing factory’ while the former firm on it being a wagon repair workshop at Kazipet.

It was in February 2023, when Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw claimed that the POH workshop would be upgraded into a wagon manufacturing facility at a cost of Rs 521 crore.

The demand for a manufacturing unit from local political leaders was based on the reasoning that a full-fledged manufacturing unit would help in economic development of the region and also provide employment opportunities, in view of the enhanced requirement of new wagons by the Railways.

The relent in centre’s stance was primarily driven by multiple factors, including the persistent demand from local political leaders and Indian Railways’ augmented demand for wagons.

Change In Layout

In light of the changes in the manufacturing unit profile, the Railways has decided to revise the layout configuration.

The stripping shop and sheet metal shops will now be built adjacent to each other. This will allow for the efficient production of side walls and end walls for wagons, using appropriate fixtures.

The plan for the body shop, wheel shop, paint shop, and store ward will remain unchanged.

However, additional machinery will be procured to enhance production capabilities. This includes gang drilling machines, shearing machines, bench press, universal underframe welding manipulators, straightening machine, huck bolting machine, and more.

The plant’s manufacturing capacity can be further scaled up by making more side wall and end walls, as well as, enhancing the capacity of wheel shop and paint shop, said Railways officials.

Centre Plans ‘Bahu Balli’ Cattle Fence Along National Highways To Reduce Accidents

By
Amit Mishra
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0

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is planning to implement the Bahu Balli cattle fence along national highways to prevent cattle from crossing the road and causing dangerous accidents that result in the loss of human and cattle life.

This was said by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in a series of tweets on 5 July.

A pilot project involving 1.2 meter high fence will be installed on section 23 of NH-30. The comprehensive solution will be demonstrated before Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Chhattisgarh on 7 July.

The cattle fence, constructed using bamboo, offers a fully effective and environmentally friendly solution.

The cattle fence, constructed using bamboo, offers a fully effective and environmentally friendly solution.

The bamboo is treated with creosote oil and coated with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), making it a stronger alternative to steel.

Creosote has also been used as an insecticide, fungicide, and disinfectant. It is a common wood preservative for railroad ties and telephone poles.

The fence has a fire rating of Class 1, which is the best fire rating of materials that can be achieved. These materials do not burn well and are very unlikely to contribute fuel to a fire.

The move to install these fences will ensure passenger safety, and aligns with the principles of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which aims to make all highways sustainable and minimise harm to wildlife and cattle, said Gadkari.

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