Page 56 - CO January 2022

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INFRASTRUCTURE As of 01.04.2021, as many as 484 projects of the Indian Railways has already been commissioned and an expenditure of nearly
FROM NEW RAIL LINES TO GAUGE CONVERSIONS, OVER
400 INDIAN RAILWAYS PROJECTS COMING UP SOON
`2.14 lakh crore has been incurred up to March 2021. Recently,
Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply in the
network, of 51,165 kilometres length, costing an estimated amount
Lok Sabha, informed about Indian Railways’ 484 projects, which
of `7.53 lakh crore are in various stages of planning, sanction,
are in different stages of planning, sanction, execution. These rail
execution.
projects include:
New Line projects: As many as 187 projects, length of 21,037
•
Kilometres, costing an amount of `4,05,916 crore, out of which
commissioning of 2,621 Kilometres has been achieved and
`1,05,591 crore expenditure has been incurred up to March
2021.
• Gauge Conversion projects: 46 number of projects, lenhth
of 6,213 Kilometres, costing `53,171 crore, out of which
commissioning of 3,587 Kilometres length has been achieved
and `22,184 crore expenditure has been incurred up to
March 2021.
• Doubling projects: A total of 251 projects, length of 23,915
Kilometres, costing an amount of `2,93,471 crore, out of
which commissioning of 4,430 Kilometres length has been
achieved and `86,041 crore expenditure has been incurred
Indian Railways projects are sanctioned zone-wise instead up to March 2021.
of state-wise as these rail projects may span across state A major milestone was achieved a few days ago by Northern
boundaries. Railways in the Kashmir rail project with one more tunnel in the
Over 400 Indian Railways projects coming soon! Projects in the Bankot area located near Banihal in Ramban, J&K connected
Indian Railways are sanctioned zone-wise instead of state-wise after a breakthrough. With this, IRCON International Limited has
as these rail projects may span across state boundaries. As finished most of the excavation work of railway tunnels between
of 01.04.2021, as many as 484 projects of the Indian Railways Banihal and the Khari section, officials were quoted saying in a
network, of 51,165 kilometres length, costing an estimated amount PTI report. The development work on the Kashmir rail project is
of `7.53 lakh crore are in various stages of planning, sanction, underway, in a 110 kilometres line between Katra and Banihal. It
execution. Out of 51,165 kilometres, length of 10,638 kilometres is expected to be over within the next two years.

CABINET APPROVES KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING ingenuity and vision to the world. Under this project, water will
PROJECT! FROM ANNUAL IRRIGATION TO DRINKING be transferred from Ken to Betwa river through the construction
WATER SUPPLY, SEE BENEFITS of Daudhan Dam as well as a canal connecting the two rivers.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project’s total cost has been assessed at The Ken-Betwa Link Project will provide annual irrigation of 10.62
`44,605 crore at 2020-21. price levels. lakh ha, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people. Besides,
Ken-Betwa Link Project: it will also generate 103 MW of hydropower as well as 27 MW solar
O n Wed n e sd a y, power. The Ken-Betwa Link Project is proposed to be implemented
the funding and in eight years’ time with state-of-the-art technology, it further said.
implementation of the The Ken-Betwa Link Project will be of immense benefit to the water-
Ken-Betwa inter-linking starved Bundelkhand region, spread across the states of Madhya
of rivers project were Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Besides, it will provide enormous
approved by the Union benefits to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Sagar, Vidisha,
Cabinet with a total cost Chhatarpur, Damoh, Datia, Shivpuri and Raisen of MP and Jhansi,
of `44,605 crore. The Banda, Mahoba and Lalitpur of UP. The Ken-Betwa Link Project is
project has eight years expected to give a boost to socio-economic prosperity in the
deadline. A proposal of this effect was given a nod in the Cabinet Bundelkhand region on account of increased agricultural activities
meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi. A statement issued after as well as generation of employment opportunities. Also, it would
the Cabinet meeting said a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called help in arresting distress migration from this region, it further stated.
Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) will be established for the According to the statement, the project comprehensively
implementation of the project. The Ken-Betwa link project’s total provides for environment management and safeguards as well.
cost has been assessed at `44,605 crore at 2020-21 price levels. At present, a comprehensive landscape management plan is
For the project, the Union Cabinet has approved central support under finalization for this purpose by the Wildlife Institute of India,
of `39,317 crore, covering a grant of `36,290 crore as well as loan it added. To implement the Ken-Betwa river linking project, an
of `3,027 crore, according to an IE report. agreement was signed between the Central government and
The statement further stated the project will pave the way for more Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh governments on 22 March 2021.
river interlinking projects in the country and also showcase our This is India’s first major centrally-driven river interlinking project.

56 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|JANUARY 2022