Rs 62k cr being spent to boost road infra, reduce pollution in Delhi: Nitin Gadkari
Gadkari said "we are trying to lessen pollution. My department is spending Rs 62,000 crore only on tackling Delhi pollution. We made Ring Road and other roads so that pollution comes down"
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New Delhi, March 23: Road projects worth Rs 62,000 crore have been undertaken in the Delhi to ease traffic congestions, and tackle the problem of pollution said Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The minister further said it is his endeavour to make the road infrastructure in India at par with the United States by 2040.
Highlighting the improvement in highway connectivity and road infrastructure, Gadkari said that it now takes only 40 minutes to travel to Meerut from Delhi, as against four hours earlier. “Our aim is to reduce the cost of construction and improve the quality," he said, adding the milestone of 38 km/day road construction, which is a world record, was achieved by India last year.
“From Ladakh, Leh to Srinagar we will go to Mumbai…. before the end of this year, we will try that from Srinagar you are able to reach Mumbai in 20 hours," the minister said. Work is in full swing for the Zojila tunnel in Kashmir and is expected to be completed by 2024, much before the scheduled target of 2026, he said. Gadkari said currently 70% goods and 90% of the passenger traffic are travelling by road, as he highlighted the importance of becoming more competitive and reducing logistics costs.
Gadkari also said that there should be no toll plaza within 60 km on national highways and he will ensure the norms are fully implemented in the next 3 months.
"I will ensure that there will be only one toll plaza within 60 km and if there's a second toll plaza, then it will be shut in the next three months," he said.
Replying to a debate on Demands for Grants for Road Transport and Highways Ministry, 2022-23, in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari recalled how he used to get stuck for an hour in Dhaula Kuan traffic every time he used to travel to and from the airport.
In 2019, Gadkari had inaugurated a 3-lane underpass at Parade Road junction near Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to ease the traffic moving from Delhi to the airport and Gurugram. “We are trying to lessen pollution. My department is spending Rs 62,000 crore only on tackling Delhi pollution. We made Ring Road and other roads so that pollution comes down," Gadkari said.
The minister further said it is his endeavour to make the road infrastructure in India at par with the United States by 2040.
Highlighting the improvement in highway connectivity and road infrastructure, Gadkari said that it now takes only 40 minutes to travel to Meerut from Delhi, as against four hours earlier. “Our aim is to reduce the cost of construction and improve the quality," he said, adding the milestone of 38 km/day road construction, which is a world record, was achieved by India last year.
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On the progress in the building of infrastructure, the minister said that road travel between Delhi to Jaipur; and Delhi to Haridwar now takes 2 hours. Similarly, the travel time from Delhi to Amritsar is now four hours.
“From Ladakh, Leh to Srinagar we will go to Mumbai…. before the end of this year, we will try that from Srinagar you are able to reach Mumbai in 20 hours," the minister said. Work is in full swing for the Zojila tunnel in Kashmir and is expected to be completed by 2024, much before the scheduled target of 2026, he said. Gadkari said currently 70% goods and 90% of the passenger traffic are travelling by road, as he highlighted the importance of becoming more competitive and reducing logistics costs.
Gadkari also said that there should be no toll plaza within 60 km on national highways and he will ensure the norms are fully implemented in the next 3 months.
"I will ensure that there will be only one toll plaza within 60 km and if there's a second toll plaza, then it will be shut in the next three months," he said.