63rd Network Planning Group Meeting under PM GatiShakti discusses 3 Infrastructure Projects
The 63rd Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting was convened on January 4, 2023 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi chaired by Special Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT, Smt. Sumita Dawra.
The meeting witnessed active participation from key Ministries and Departments including Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of Defence and NITI Aayog.
During the meeting, NPG discussed three projects pertaining to MoR (1) and MoRTH (2), with an aggregate project cost of more than Rs. 5,000 Cr. These included a new railway line project passing through the States of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. This project will facilitate coal transportation from coal mines to various industries/thermal power plants in the Northern/Western part of the country. The project's scope extends to bridging the last-mile gap to numerous coal blocks, will reduce the congestion on the existing railway main line, enhancing overall efficiency, while connecting the mines to Paradip Port for coastal shipping route as well. It was noted that care has been taken while planning the rail line to minimise intersection of the project with the forest, besides ensuring road connectivity for access to planned Multimodal Logistics Park.
It was acknowledged that the primary objective behind the GatiShakti planning initiative is to enhance multimodal connectivity by establishing links to pivotal industrial and business hubs while strategically bypassing congested areas. Beyond mere infrastructure development, these projects aspire to create a ripple effect by expanding business prospects and fostering local socio-economic development and employment opportunities.
The Mirzapur-Ayodhya Corridor was also examined by the NPG and it involves construction of bypass roads to two important cities in the densely populated region. The anticipated impact of this project on overall logistics efficiency will be substantial, with a remarkable reduction in travel time. Moreover, the road project improves connectivity to the Varanasi Multi-Modal Terminal, potentially promoting a modal shift in favor of environmentally friendly and cost-effective inland waterway transportation.
After construction of these Greenfield alignments, substantial commercial traffic will bypass and decongest the main city area. The corridor is poised to deliver substantial socio-economic benefits, including the generation of job opportunities, improved access to tourism and religious sites, and enhanced road connectivity to key economic centers, industrial zones, and agricultural regions along the route. This, in turn, will boost economic activities, trade, and investments in the region, stimulating the growth of ancillary infrastructure such as warehouses, distribution centers, and logistics hubs.
Another significant project discussed in the NPG meeting was development of a Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Andhra Pradesh. This project is poised to enhance logistics efficiency by serving as an aggregation and disaggregation hub for nearby industrial clusters, improving multi-modal rail-road connectivity and through modal shift in favor of rail for long haul bulk cargo transportation. Strategically positioned near Bengaluru and Chennai, the MMLP is also in close proximity to existing railway line. This location ensures optimal connectivity and accessibility to key economic hubs.
Special Secretary emphasized that these projects integrate various modes of transport and offer substantial socio-economic benefits and will contribute to the overall development of the regions.
Additionally, she requested the Ministries to incorporate the Area Development Planning Approach in project planning and ensure strong coordination with local authorities, including State Governments and Ministries to identify infrastructural gaps and promote integrated planning. The benefits of using PM GatiShakti NMP portal in project planning were also acknowledged by the NPG members.
Growth of metro rail in India is underlined by rising ridership figures
Daily ridership across all metro rail systems in the country has crossed 10 million
The Economist, in its year-ending ‘Christmas Double’ issue dated 23 December 2023 has misconstrued that “India’s massive metro build-out is failing to attract enough passengers” in an article on India’s metro rail systems. The article, while containing factual inaccuracies, also does not provide the necessary context against which India’s growing metro rail network must be studied.
The central claim of the article that none of India’s metro rail systems have achieved even half of their projected ridership pays no heed to the fact that more than three-fourths of India’s current metro rail network was conceived, constructed and operationalised less than ten years ago – in some cases, metro rail systems are only a couple of years old. Yet, daily ridership across metro systems in the country has already crossed the 10 million mark, and is expected to exceed 12.5 million in a year or two. India is witnessing a steep rise in its metro ridership and will continue to do so as our metro systems evolve. It must also be noted that nearly all metro rail systems in country presently generate operational profits.
In a mature metro system as seen in the example of Delhi Metro, daily ridership has exceeded 7 million already, a figure which is well beyond the projected number for Delhi Metro by the end of 2023. In fact, analysis shows that the Delhi Metro has helped to ease the pressure on congested corridors of the city that cannot be solved by public bus systems alone. This is seen in some corridors of the city where DMRC services more than 50,000 people in very high peak-hour, peak-direction traffic. To meet such high traffic demand through public buses alone, 715 buses would be required to travel in one direction within an hour in those corridors, roughly translating to a headway of around 5 seconds between buses – an impossible scenario! One dreads to imagine the condition of road traffic in Delhi without the Delhi Metro.
In a nation as diverse as India, every mode of public transport system is important, both in isolation and as an integrated offering to commuters. The Government of India is committed to providing comfortable, reliable and energy-efficient mobility solutions that will offer a combination of multi-modal transport options for the long term in a sustainable manner.
The government recently launched the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme for the promotion of bus transport systems wherein 10,000 e-buses will be deployed in cities with population between 500,000 and 4 million. Bus transport solutions for cities with more than 4 million population are already included in the government’s FAME scheme. While e-buses and metro systems are both electrically powered, metro systems are far ahead in terms of specific energy consumption and efficiency. With the continual expansion of our cities, and the realisation of greater first-mile and last-mile connectivity, India’s metro systems will witness higher ridership.
The article also suggests that many commuters who undertake short trips prefer to use other modes of transport, thus insinuating that “a slew of expensive transport infrastructure” is not serving all strata of society. This again lacks context as it fails to explain that Indian cities are expanding. The DMRC metro system which is more than 20 years old has an average trip length of 18 kms. India’s metro systems, most of which are less than five or ten years old, have been planned and operationalised to service the traffic requirement of India’s urban areas for the next 100 years. Evidence already suggests that such a transition is happening – metro rail systems are the most preferred mode of commuting for women and the city’s young population.
Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays foundation stone of 12 National Highway projects with a total length of 105 km worth over Rs 1464 Crore in Kerala
Adding an immense segment in modern-road infrastructure of Kerala, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 12 National Highway projects with a total length of 105 km, worth over ₹1464 Crore, in the presence of Union MoS Shri V. Muraleedharan , Kerala PWD Minister Shri. P. A. Mohammed Riyas , MP from Kasargod Shri Rajmohan Unnithan , MLAs, and Senior Officials in Kasargod, Kerala on Friday.
The proposed projects aim to enhance seamless connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, ensuring swift and trouble-free transportation. This initiative holds the promise of reducing overall transportation costs. Furthermore, a focus on eliminating black spots on National Highways is anticipated to contribute to a significant decrease in road accidents.
The undertaking is poised to generate substantial employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, fostering socio-economic growth in Kerala. Additionally, the improved accessibility to Munnar is expected to boost tourism potential, while the construction of a high-level bridge will eliminate a 27 km detour during floods, streamlining travel and benefiting the export of key Kerala products.