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Namma Metro To Bengaluru Airport: Karnataka Government’s New Route 9 Km Longer, To Cost Rs 5,000 Crore More

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Karnataka Cabinet, on Thursday (10 January), has approved the airport line metro’s route change that passes through the eastern part of the city. The move comes at additional cost of Rs 5,000 crore.

Initially planned to be taken through Nagawara, the route will now pass via Hebbal and Jakkur, making the route longer by nine kilometres- a total journey of 38 km on the line. The cost of the project has been revised to Rs 10,584 crore as opposed to earlier estimate of Rs 5,950 crore.

Successive governments have been constantly changing the plans of the metro in the city, which is supposed to accommodate the rising migrant population who seek jobs and education in the capital. Perhaps, this has been only one of the cities where the people have been fighting for better public transport, growth and a planned expansion, Livemint reported.

The Cabinet has also given the approval to the Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) report on the suburban railways. The project cost estimated is around Rs 23,093 crore and will serve more than 10 lakh people in the city by 2025.

Namami Gange: How Modi’s Grand Project Is Progressing In These Seven Cities

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Snapshot
  • Seven cities across the northern plains on the Ganga and its tributaries. Seven points of polluted discharge into the great river.

    Here is how the Namami Gange project is coming up with the solutions to this problem.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namami Gange project and allocated Rs 20,000 crores to it in the 2015 budget, the approach the government would adopt to clean the Ganga, and if it would learn the right lessons from the colossal failure of the Ganga Action Plan, was unknown.

Four and a half years later, there is evidence that the Modi government seems to have found effective solutions to the challenges of governance, infrastructure shortage and minimum flow that the previous governments failed to address.

Here’s how its flagship programme has progressed in these seven cities: Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Delhi and Patna.

Kanpur

Kanpur, with its large drains like the one in Sisamau and Jajmau, and hundreds of water guzzling tanneries and paper industries, is the city which pollutes Ganga the most. The city generates nearly 375 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, which will increase to 460 MLD by 2035. It already has a treatment capacity of 457 MLD, but much of it was not fully operational due to poor governance.

Under Namami Gange, the government has sanctioned 10 projects worth Rs. 2192 crore for Kanpur zone, which includes Kanpur town, Unnao, Shuklaganj and Bithoor. In Kanpur, the government has managed to rehabilitate existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) with 450 MLD capacity and 300 km of sewerage network. Work on a 15 MLD STP at Baniyapurwa and laying of 100 km sewerage network is also ongoing in the city.

Most importantly, the biggest drain in the city, the Sisamau nala, which dumped around 140 MLD of untreated waste water into the Ganga every day, has been diverted to the newly rehabilitated STPs in the city.

In the nearby towns of Unnao, Shuklaganj and Bithoor, the current sewage generation is 13 MLD, 4 MLD and 1.3 MLD respectively. Under Namami Gange, a 2 MLD STP at Bithoor, a 15 MLD STP at Unnao and 5 MLD STP at Shuklaganj are being constructed.

Varanasi

Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, considered one of the oldest living cities in the world, is at the centre of his Namami Gange mission. It was here, on the campaign trail ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, that Modi announced his intent to make the Ganga nirmal and aviral again.

Under Namami Gange, the government has completed the construction of 140 MLD STP at Dinapur at a cost of Rs 235.53 crore and a 28 km long relieving trunk sewer, rising mains and interceptor sewers along Varuna & Assi rivers at a cost of Rs 155.87 crore. Three pumping stations in at Chaukaghat (140 MLD), Phulwaria (7.6 MLD) and Saraiya (3.7 MLD), along the Varuna river, have been built.

In the satellite town of Ramnagar, a sewage management system, which involves interception of four large drains finding their way into the Ganga, and the construction of a 10 MLD STP for treatment of the intercepted waste water, is coming up. Two other STPs, with a total treatement capacity of 170 MLD will come up in Goitha and Ramana.

The city generates around 300 MLD of sewage per day. Completion of these projects will take the treatment capacity in the city to 412 MLD.

Apart from these projects, the government is also working on renovating existing sewerage network and ghats in the city.

Prayagraj

For Prayagraj, the site of the Maha Kumbh, the government has sanctioned at least 10 projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 2915 crore for creation of 779 km sewerage network in the city and the construction of eight STPs having total capacity of 191 MLD. This includes three STPs of 72 MLD capacity, with one STP of 42 MLD at Naini, the second one with 14 MLD at Phaphamau and the third of 16 MLD at Jhusi. Around 456 km of sewerage network is under construction as of now.

By December 2018, four projects were complete, bringing online sewage treatment capacity of 119 MLD and sewerage network of 129 km.

In view of the Kumbh Mela, financial assistance for 27,500 toilets, 20,000 urinals and 16,000 dustbins have been provided. (Also Read: How Yogi Government Is Making This Year’s Kumbh Mela Cleanest In India’s Modern History)

Rishikesh

Rishikesh is the place where the Ganga first encounters large-scale urban settlements. The government has sanctioned a total of 31 projects for Uttarakhand. Of these, eight are in and around Rishikesh. Work on construction of two STPs with a total treatment capacity of 12.5 MLD, two sewage pumping stations and laying of sewer lines is under progress at Muni-Ki-Reti, which witnesses a huge footfall due to its famous ashrams, including the Divine Life Society of Sivananda Saraswati. STPs will also come up in Jagjeetpur and Sarai under Public-Private Partnership based Hybrid Annuity model.

Delhi

The Ganga has ten major tributaries, along with which it drains 26 per cent of India’s total geographical area. Untreated waste water which finds its way into its tributaries, including Yamuna – one of the world’s most polluted rivers, reaches Ganga at some point. Therefore, any strategy which does not take into account this waste water is bound to fail in achieving the aim of clean Ganga.

To deal with this, Namami Gange mission also focuses on cities along the stretch of Ganga’s tributaries, and Delhi is one of these.

In Delhi, the government has sanctioned two STP projects for creating 340 MLD waste treatment capacity at a cost of Rs 580 crore. The first is a 318 MLD capacity STP at Coronation Pillar. The second project involves the construction of 9 decentralised STPs of total 22.5 MLD capacity. The water treated at these STPs will be used to rejuvenate eight waterbodies in the city and for irrigation.

At least seven STPs with total capacity of 94 MLD will come up in Najafgarh. The total number of projects being undertaken in Delhi under Namami Gange is 11.

While Delhi currently generates nearly 4155 MLD of sewage, the existing treatment capacity is limited to little over 2690 MLD.

Patna

Patna, the largest city in Bihar with a population of over two million, generates over 285 MLD of sewage and has the capacity to treat a little over 110 MLD.

Under Namami Gange, 11 STPs are being constructed in Patna to create a treatment capacity of around 350 MLD. Work to tap all 33 drains in the city and to create a 1140 km sewerage network is under progress. These projects will be completed at an estimated cost of around Rs 3,580 crore.

A total of 29 projects worth Rs 5042.11 crore are ongoing in Bihar under Namami Gange programme. The state is expected to generate 606 MLD of sewage by 2035 and has 124 MLD of existing sewage treatment capacity.

Also Read: How Modi’s Grand Project Is Making Gradual But Certain Progress

Nagpur Metro: State Cabinet Approves Phase II Of Project; 35 Stations To Cover Rural, Industrial Areas

By
Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Maharashtra Cabinet has approved Phase II of the Nagpur Metro Project to boost connectivity in semi-urban areas of the city. This move will immensely benefit people working in Industrial areas of Nagpur, reports Metro Rail News.

The state cabinet cleared Rs 11,216 crore for Phase-II project of the Nagpur Metro on Tuesday (8 January). The proposal will now go to the Union Cabinet for their approval.

Phase I of Nagpur Metro, which is 75 per cent complete, is being executed by MahaMetro. The second phase, serving as an extension of the ongoing first phase, will be covering rural areas of Nagpur.

Phase II of the project will be spread over a length of 48.3 km with 35 stations. Both the phases will cover around 21.39 lakh people out of Nagpur’s 34.87 lakh population, according to 2011 census projections.

According to the report, the proposed routes under Phase II will be from Automotive Square to Kanhan River (13 km long with 12 stations), Mihan to Butibori MIDC ESR (18.5 km long with 10 stations), Prajapati Nagar to Transport Nagar (5.6 km long with three stations), Lokmanya Nagar to Hingna (6.7 km long with seven stations), Vasudev Nagar to Datta Wadi (4.5 km long with three stations).

PM Modi Inaugurates 58 KM NH-211 Stretch At Solapur, India’s National Highway Length Now At 1.3 Lakh Km

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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The total length of National Highways in the country has risen from 91,287 km on 31 December 2014 to 1,31,326 at present (January 2019), with the latest addition being the 58 km Solapur-Tuljapur-Osmanabad section of NH-211 inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (9 January), as per a Press Information Bureau release.

The section is itself part of a larger four-laning project for a 98.717 km stretch of NH-211 between Solapur and Yedashi. This section is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 972.50 crore and is intended to provide better connectivity between Solapur and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

The project includes 2 major and 17 minor bridges, as well as 4 vehicular and 10 pedestrian underpasses as part of the section inaugurated today.

The construction of National Highways is proceeding at a rapid pace under the Modi government, with a plan to enhance the total length of the network to 2 lakh km eventually.

While only 16,505 km of National Highways were constructed between 2010-11 and 2013-14, the current government has accelerated that pace to add 28,531 km to the network between 2014-15 and 2017-18, with 9,829 km being added in 2018.

Under its Bharatmala Pariyojana the centre aims to plug critical infrastructure shortages affecting road connectivity across the country, with 6500 km of roads already being allocated for construction to bidders under this programme.

From Amaravati To Anantapuramu: Road Transport Ministry Finalises 384 Km Four-Lane Expressway

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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A four-lane expressway project stretching approximately 384 km to connect Andhra Pradesh’s under construction capital Amaravati with Anantapuramu has been finalised after two meetings were held between the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and officials from the state government, reports The New Indian Express.

Although the road will initially have only four lanes, the plan includes a provision to upgrade the expressway into eight lanes, if such a requirement arises depending on future traffic conditions.

The Andhra Pradesh government will be providing government land for free for the project, while also absorbing 50 per cent of the overall land acquisition cost.

The state government will also be responsible for obtaining necessary clearances in relation to environmental, forest, wildlife, civil work execution and other approvals.

Anantapuramu is an important town located in the Rayalaseema region of the state, while Amaravati is the new capital which was announced after Telangana split off into its own state and took Hyderabad along with it.

Eastern Peripheral Expressway Reduces Air Pollution In Delhi By 7 Per Cent: CRRI Report Using IIT Kanpur Data

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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A recent study has indicated that the pollution caused by vehicles in Delhi reduced by seven per cent due to the recently launched Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), reports Hindustan Times.

The study was conducted by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on behalf of the Delhi Government’s environment department. The report uses a IIT Kanpur study to push its assertions.

The EPE aims to divert around 50,000 vehicles going to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and hence decongest Delhi to bring down vehicular pollution.

According to a senior official from the environment department, results of the study show an increase in nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide by seven per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively along the EPE.

Particulate matter has also increased by 0.9 per cent on the EPE due to an increase of vehicular activity since the expressway opened in May 2018.

“The EPE was expected to reduce the number of heavy diesel truck traffic that enters the national capital triggering traffic chaos and air pollution,” a senior official from the Delhi environment department was quoted in the report as saying.

Since the pollution levels across EPE has increased, it has been inferred that pollution inside the city has reduced by the same level, the official added. The study further shows that an average of 10,000 vehicles use the EPE every day, of which 32 per cent are trucks, 60 per cent are cars and the rest comprises of other vehicles including buses and trucks.

UDAN Spreads Its Wings: Government Receives Bids For 111 Routes From 15 Airlines In Third Auction

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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The Union government has stated that fifteen airlines have bid to provide affordable air travel for 111 routes under UDAN’s recently concluded third auction round, reports Mint.

“The bidding process has been completed and we have done the evaluation. We will place the results before the minister soon. There were 15 airlines that have bid a total of 111 initial proposals, which were then placed in the counter bidding.”

“Among these 15 airlines, six airlines participated in counter bidding and these six airlines put in a total of 17 counter proposals,” said a senior official with the Union Ministry Of Civil Aviation (MOCA).

In the auction, the government undertook ‘due diligence’ of airline firms before accepting their bids. It also rejected the proposals made by a few airlines which were financially constrained.

“We did not consider proposals by Air Odisha and Air Deccan as valid proposals and decided to avoid opening their financial bids… Their technical bids, however, were considered by the ministry,” added the official.

UDAN scheme

Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) is a first-of-its-kind regional connectivity scheme in the world. It was launched by the NDA government in 2016 to develop the regional aviation market.

It is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies. “The fare for a one hour journey of appx 500 km on a fixed-wing aircraft or for a 30-minute journey on a helicopter would now be capped at Rs. 2,500, with proportionate pricing for routes of different stage lengths/flight duration,” said a government release.

Also Read: ‘Hawai Chappal To Hawai Jahaaz’ Indeed: Overwhelming Response To PM Modi’s UDAN Scheme

Install A Plug-In: Central Government Says Buildings Will Have To Allot 20 Per Cent Parking Space For EV Charging

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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According to the new guidelines of the Housing and Urban Development Ministry, residential and commercial complexes will have to allot 20 per cent of their parking space for electric vehicle charging facilities, and restaurants will have to reserve space for kiosks, reports Economic Times.

The housing and urban ministry has issued guidelines to provide for EVM charging facilities through an Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation Guidelines, 2014 and addendum to Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016.

“Depending on the occupancy pattern and parking provisions in the premises, charging infrastructures shall be provided only for electric vehicles, which is currently calculated to be 20 per cent of all ‘vehicle holding capacity’ at the premise,” the guidelines said.

The ministry has also recommended that the metering be linked with the house owner’s monthly maintenance bills. The power ministry has reportedly issued guidelines for charging facilities under which it has asked public charging stations to install both Japanese and European charging platforms.

The guidelines also requires a charging station to be set up every 3 km in cities and every 25 km on both sides of highways.

FASTags At A Petrol Bunk Near You: Transport Ministry Allows Purchase Of Tags At Fuel Outlets, First Phase In NCR

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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The Union Transport Ministry has stated that customers will soon be able to purchase FASTags at petrol pumps operated by state-run oil firms across the country, reports Financial Express (FE).

“To ensure easier availability of FASTags, Indian Highways Management Company (IHMCL) is signing MoUs with state-run oil marketing companies (IOCL, BPCL and HPCL) on January 7, 2019,” said the Ministry.

IHMCL, which has been tasked with rolling out the FASTag scheme in the country, works under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The Ministry added that in the first phase, the FASTags would be made available at fifty fuel stations in Delhi NCR.

“Recent government measures like proposed FASTag–GST integration and FASTag acceptance at all toll plazas in India have led to an urgent need of scaling up the FASTag marketing channels. These MoUs will help IHMCL to cater to the evolving market expectations,” the Ministry noted.

What is a FASTag?

It is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it. FASTag is attached to the windscreen of a vehicle and enables one to drive through toll plazas, without stopping for cash transactions.

The government has mandated that all new vehicles sold in India after 1 October 2017, will be affixed with an active FASTag. All lanes of all 371 NHAI toll plazas in the country accept these tags.

Also Read: FASTag Was Always The Solution To Getting Past Toll Plazas, Not VIP Lanes

Bonding The Nation: NHAI To Issue Rs 10,000 Crore Worth Bharatmala Bonds In The Next Three Months

By
Indian Infra Hub Staff
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The Union government has informed the Parliament that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will issue taxable Bharatmala bonds to raise Rs 10,000 crore in the current financial year (FY19), reports Business Standard (BS).

“A draft self prospectus (DSP)/offer document has been filed with the stock exchanges and SEBI to raise Bharatmala Taxable Bonds through public issue with shelf limit of Rs 10,000 crore,” said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Highways, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Winter session.

“The amount is being raised accordingly and till date a sum of Rs 41,170 crore has been raised by NHAI,” added the Minister. The Union budget allows NHAI to raise a sum of Rs 62,000 crore by issuing various financial instruments, including Bharatamala bonds.

Bharatmala Bonds

These bonds are issued by NHAI, which has a highly credible ‘AAA’ rating, to fund various road infrastructure projects in the country. These bonds carry a coupon rate of 8.5 per cent.

“For retirement purposes, people invest in banks where you get 6 per cent interest on your deposits. I will give you 2.50 per cent more. I will give you 8.50 per cent interest per annum for a period of five years and the interest will be paid out monthly,” Mr Gadkari had earlier stated.

Bharatmala Pariyojana, a flagship infrastructure development programme of the NDA government, involves the development/upgradation of 34,800 km of National Highways (NHs). It focuses on optimising the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions.

Also Read: Exclusive: Swarajya Conversations With Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

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