Page 93 - CO_February_2022

TICKER TAPE

CENTRE’S NOD FOR SILVERLINE UNLIKELY, SAYS it will ensure all-weather connectivity between Kargil and the
METROMAN E SREEDHARAN remote Zanskar valley,
The Centre is unlikely to give its approval for the SilverLine Project It will also prove to be a valuable infrastructure asset for the
in Kerala as there were lot of faults in it, Metro man E Sreedharan movement of troops and heavy weapons and equipment, INFRASTRUCTURE
said, even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that his especially on the completion of the Shinku La Tunnel, It will be
government would not back down from developmental activities the shortest route to Kargil via Manali, Darcha and Padum areas,
by yielding to protests from some people. “I don’t think the Centre they said. Sahu said it will play a crucial role in the economic
will give its approval for this project because there are a lot of development of the remote region of Ladakh. Further promotion
technical errors in it,” Sreedharan told reporters at Malappuram. of tourism will also be possible along the corridor and in Zanskar,.
Noting that the railways is a central subject and not a state Regarding the clearance of snow on the road blocked due
subject, the Metro man said he had written to Prime Minister to the recent snowfall, the officials said that as of today, the
Narendra Modi citing the problems involved in the project. 234-kilometre-long road, equipped with 58 machines and around
“I wrote to the Prime Minister because the state government 140 people involved in snow clearance, is now functional.
started acquiring land before getting the sanction for the project,”
said Sreedharan. The Metro man, who is credited with changing DELHI AIRPORT PHASE 3A EXPANSION PROJECT: DIAL
the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building COMPLETES REFURBISHING WORK ON IGI AIRPORT’S
the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro, said a lot of changes BRITISH-ERA RUNWAY
may be required in the project and acquiring land before getting Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has completed
sanction for the project may cause wastage of money. refurbishing work on the 09/27 runway at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi
The state government’s plan is to connect the 540 kilometre International (IGI) Airport and handed over the facility to ATC for
stretch from Thiruvananthapuram in the South to Kasaragod in commercial operations late last month. This will help in reducing
the north by semi-high-speed rail, under its ambitious SilverLine the runway operations time. The newly rehabilitated runway
project. The project to be developed by K-Rail - a joint venture of at Delhi Airport, which was constructed during the British era,
the Kerala government and the Railway Ministry for developing complies with Category-I Instrument Landing System, which assists
railway infrastructure in the southern state - is expected to reduce pilots during an aircraft’s landing in low visibility conditions. The
the travel time between these two ends of the state to around rehabilitation work of runway 09/27 (first runway) was undertaken
four hours. Sreedharan said the SilverLine will divide Kerala as high by DIAL as part of Delhi Airport’s phase 3A expansion project,
concrete or masonry walls have to be provided on either side to according to a PTI report.
prevent trespass of people and animals. He said providing solid The newly rehabilitated runway at Delhi Airport, which was
walls on either side is a sure environmental disaster as it will block constructed during the British era, complies with Category-I
natural drainage and will be an eyesore as well. Instrument Landing System, which assists pilots during an aircraft’s
The fate of Kuttanad, which gets flooded easily, will get repeated landing in low visibility conditions.
over the entire length of 393 km, where the SilverLine is at ground The airport operator- DIAL said it undertook major rehabilitation
level, Sreedharan said. He also questioned the government for works at the airport, including milling down the runway’s flexible
not releasing its Detailed Project Report (DPR), saying the actual pavement to a depth of 60 mm as well as overlaying it with
cost of the project will be revealed only through the DPR. Polymer Modified Bitumen, which can withstand heavy-duty traffic
Meanwhile, addressing civic dignitaries and people’s and also, extreme weather conditions. The rehabilitation work
representatives in Kochi, Chief Minister Vijayan said it is not right of Runway 09/27 and its taxiways has been completed by DIAL
to abandon the project because some people are protesting successfully.
against it. Stating that the SilverLine project is being done for the The newly rehabilitated runway at Delhi Airport will have 20 years’
better future of the state, the Chief Minister said. design life and would be instrumental in handling the increased
Starting from the state capital, SilverLine trains will have stoppages air traffic movements, once pre-pandemic level traffic returns to
at Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Tirur, IGI Airport. Runway 09/27 is on Delhi Airport’s northern side, and
Kozhikode and Kannur before reaching Kasaragod. has a network of nine taxiways, out of which, six taxiways are
connecting taxiways and three of them are rapid exit taxiways
230- KM KARGIL-ZANSKAR HIGHWAY TO BECOME ALL- (RETs), DIAL stated. The airport operator has also realigned a new
WEATHER ROAD AS NHIDCL BEGINS WORK 3.5 kilometres long taxiway, parallel to runway 09/27, which will
The 230-kilometre-long Kargil-Zanskar national highway will reduce the Runway Occupancy Time as well as help in improving
become an all-weather road as the National Highways and the traffic flow.
Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd has begun work for its DIAL said as part of the rehabilitation project, it has also upgraded
up-gradation and widening, officials said. This is the second the Airfield Ground Lighting system for airport runway 09/27 with a
continuous year that the Kargil-Zanskar highway has been duct and pit system. Moreover, for higher efficiency and reliability,
operational during the winter season. all the existing lights of the runway and taxiways have been
The widening project of the Kargil-Zanskar highway with the upgraded to an LED system, DIAL mentioned. Once Phase 3A
existing length of 234 kilometres spans 32 villages. expansion work is completed, passenger handling capacity of IGI
The project, with the desired length of 230 kilometres, has been Airport is likely to increase to 100 MPPA, and the airside capacity
divided into eight packages for execution. Once completed, will increase to handle 140 MPPA.

FEBRUARY 2022|CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES 97