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India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Sustaining a fast growth rate in any economy, however, calls for a comprehensive development of the country’s infrastructure.
The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has been giving the highest priority to development and expansion of the physical infrastructure since it came into power.
NHDP-Phase I, II and III
The prestigious National Highways Development Project (NHDP) has dramatically improved highway connectivity in the country. The target now is to complete the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) connecting the four metropolitan cities (NHDP, Phase I) and the North-South & East-West Corridors (NHDP, Phase II). During the last 6 months, a length of 822 km has been completed that includes some major projects like the 50 km Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway, the 6 km cable-stayed bridge on river Yamuna near Naini in Uttar Pradesh (UP), besides Nellore, Guwahati and Jalandhar bypasses.
Out of the total GQ length of 5846 km, work has been completed on 3294 km (56.35 per cent) by October 31, 2004. Work to complete the balance 2552 km is progressing rapidly. Barring a few stretches like the recently awarded Allahabad bypass and two contracts that have been terminated due to slow progress, efforts are on to complete about 92 per cent of GQ by December, 2005.
Work on the 7,300 km North-South and East-East Corridors is progressing as per schedule. So far, 675 km has been completed and another 388 km is under construction. For the remaining length of road, work is being awarded in a phased manner. By June 2005, works for nearly 6000 km of Corridors worth about Rs. 34,000 crore are to be awarded.
While this largest-ever highway project is being built kilometre by kilometre, its progress is reviewed regularly at the highest levels. The Union Transport Minister, is making whirlwind tour of States, taking on-the-spot meetings with the State Ministers as well as senior officials of Central and State governments and other implementing agencies.
Looking beyond Phase I and II, the Government has decided to go ahead with NHDP Phase-III that envisages upgrading about 10,000 km of existing National Highways to 4/6 lane dual carriageway through public private partnership on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. Phase III would comprise stretches of National Highway carrying high volume of traffic, connecting State capitals with NHDP Phase I and II network and providing connectivity to places of economic, tourist and commercial importance. The cost of this Phase is likely to be about, Rs.55,000 crore and it is targeted for completion by 2010.
As identified during the Minister’s review Meetings with respective States, upgrading of about 4500 km of National Highways in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal has been included under Phase-III. With this, action has been initiated for preparation of Detailed Project Reports on the identified complete length of 10,000 km under Phase-III.
Looking Beyond NHDP
Out of 65,569 km highways in the country, around 35 per cent is still single lane (3.75 m wide) or intermediate lane (5.5 m wide). After development of 14,300 km under Phase I and II, and 10,000 km under Phase III, another 41,000 km of highways would be left, which is now sought to be upgraded to a minimum 2-lane with paved shoulders where required. This would cover regions left out by NHDP Phase I, II and III, and unleash a new wave of development and prosperity, especially in the remote and economically backward areas.
In the last six months, 266 works amounting to over Rs.550 crore have been sanctioned in the States for the improvement of important roads other than the National Highways.
In a country like India, road connectivity has to go hand in hand with improvements in its massive railways system. Steps have been taken to improve rail safety standards. A time bound action plan on modernization of Indian Railways has been worked out at a cost of Rs.24,000 crore to modernize, upgrade and augment rail services.
Focus on Villages
Rural roads are also a vital segment of the infrastructure. A scheme called Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has been launched to develop this sector. A survey to identify the Core Network as part of the PMGSY, reveals that work to link 1,70,594 unconnected habitations, needs to be taken up. This would require new construction of 3.69 lakh km. and upgradation of 3.68 lakh km. of roads at a total cost of Rs.1,33,000 crore as against the earlier estimates of Rs.60,000 crore. The Rural Development Minister has set the target of connecting all habitations with more than 500 people by 2007.
Already notable progress has been made in this direction. Proposals have been cleared for connecting 35,576 habitations through 1,02,701 km of roads. Ten States have already achieved connectivity for all 1000+ habitations, four have nearly achieved this goal and 10 others are identified as core States for focused attention.
Efforts are being made to provide physical and social infrastructure, normally available in cities, in the identified rural clusters to further their growth potential. The scheme called PURA (Provision of Urban amenities in Rural Areas) aims at delivering road transportation, drinking water supply, health facilities and power, electronic, market and knowledge connectivity. The Planning Commission has approved the pilot phase of PURA for which Rs.10 crore has been allocated.
Steps have also been taken to improve India’s shipping sector. Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP) envisages cutting of a ship channel to connect the Gulf of Manner and Palk Bay so that most of the ships, depending on draft required, moving between east and west coast of the country, could have a continuous navigable sea route around the Peninsula within her own territorial waters. This would save up to 400 nautical miles and upto 36 hours of sailing time for ships between east and west coast. Initiative for the project was taken recently when National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur was assigned the task of undertaking techno-economic viability of the project, and to assess the impact on environment.
Other steps recently taken by the Government include introduction of Tonnage Tax System from 2004-05 in order to give to our shipping industry a level playing field vis-à-vis international shipping companies, redevelopment of Bulk Terminal to Container Terminal at Jawharlal Nehru Port on BOT basis, developing an International Container Transhipment Terminal at Cochin Port and drafting a National Policy for Maritime Sector.
There is also a renewed focus on development of Inland Water Transport, which is an eco-friendly, cost effective and fuel-efficient mode. In a major policy initiative, fixed schedule services have been started on National Waterway I between Patna and Haldia and on National Waterway II between Dhubri and Guwahati. Commercial runs on these waterways would commence shortly.
*Freelance Writer
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