Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced that the central government will spend Rs 1 lakh crore in the next two years to improve Delhi’s infrastructure and reduce the pollution problem. He said that many projects are being worked on to reduce congestion and eliminate pollution on the roads of Delhi. Gadkari also assured that Delhi will be free from air pollution in the next five years.
Projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore for Delhi
Gadkari said his ministry has taken several steps to clean the Yamuna river under the ‘Namami Gange’ scheme. He said,
“Works worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be done in Delhi in the coming two years, which will change the face of the entire city. “However, some work is pending due to delay in financial assistance for the projects from the Delhi government.”
Work continues on projects worth Rs 65,000 crore
Gadkari said that the Road and Transport Ministry has started work on projects worth Rs 65,000 crore.
These include:
- Works worth Rs 33,000 crore have already been completed.
- The remaining works worth Rs 32,000 crore will be completed by next year.
Gadkari said that the aim of these projects is to provide relief to Delhiites from traffic jams and pollution.
Important Road and Expressway Projects
1. New Ring Road (UER-II):
- Cost: Rs 7,716 crore (Delhi) and Rs 6,000 crore (Haryana).
- Length: 120 kilometers.
2. Link road to Delhi-Noida Expressway:
- Length: 60 kilometers.
- Cost: Rs 7,000 crore.
- Expiry: This year.
3. Okhla Bird Sanctuary Elevated Road:
- Length: 6.8 kilometers.
- Expiry: By March.
4. Jewar Airport to IGI Airport Greenfield Road:
- Length: 32 kilometers.
- Cost: Rs 3,000 crore.
5. Dwarka Expressway:
- Length: 8 lanes.
- Cost: Rs 9,000 crore.
- Expiry: By June.
efforts to reduce pollution
Gadkari said that the government is taking many measures to reduce air pollution in Delhi.
These include:
- Promotion of electric vehicles: Introduction of electric buses, cars, and scooters.
- Use of CNG vehicles: 40% of the pollution in Delhi is caused by fossil fuels, to reduce which CNG vehicles are being promoted.
- CNG production from stubble: 400 plants are being set up to produce CNG from stubble, out of which 60 are already operational.
Solution to the problem of stubble burning
Gadkari said that steps have been taken to reduce the problem of stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and surrounding areas.
Panipat Project:
- 1 lakh liters of ethanol, 150 tonnes of bio-vitamins, and 78,000 tonnes of aviation fuel will be produced from the stubble.
- This project will not only reduce pollution but will also create employment opportunities and increase the income of farmers.
