Page 44 - Construction_Opportunities_July_2026

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INFRASTRUCTURE The proposed railway line connecting Theni in Tamil Nadu with “We have installed boundary pillars to mark the project area and
RAILWAYS CLEARS SURVEY FOR THENI–ERUMELI RAIL LINK
CONNECTING TAMIL NADU, KERALA.
construction has now begun,” an MCD official said.
The civic body is also expanding the capacity of the waste-to-
energy plants at Tehkhand and Okhla by 1,000 MT per day each.
Erumeli in Kerala, the gateway to Sabarimala, has moved a step
closer to reality after the Railways approved a survey for the 95-km
Work on the Okhla facility has already started, with the expansion
expected to be completed by March 2027.
broad-gauge route.
At the Okhla landfill, work is also underway on a seven-acre
The approval follows a tender floated last year to assess the
feasibility of establishing a direct rail link between Theni and
expected to be completed by November 30. The facility will allow
Erumeli.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the sanction in reclaimed site for a C&D waste processing plant, which is
operators to receive bulk C&D waste from private generators and
Parliament in response to questions raised by MPs P Ganapathy charge processing fees.
Rajkumar and Thanga Tamilselvan. Meanwhile, MCD’s horticulture department has started a pilot
The survey will form the basis for preparing a detailed project report. greening project on another two-acre reclaimed site. Doob
The proposal will subsequently require further appraisal, including grass (Cynodon dactylon) is being planted to help stabilise the
consultations with the state governments and clearances from NITI soil, reduce dust emissions and improve the reclaimed area. A
Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. No timeline has been fixed for layer of sandy soil mixed with manure has been added to support
construction of the line. If approved for execution, the proposed vegetation growth.
railway would provide Theni district with direct rail connectivity Across Delhi, MCD is developing five new fresh waste processing
towards Sabarimala and reduce dependence on road transport plants with a combined capacity of 5,900 tonnes per day at
for pilgrims travelling to Kerala. At present, passengers from Theni a total cost of `596 crore. These facilities are expected to be
and surrounding areas largely travel by road through Cumbum operational by October-November 2026.
and Kumily towards Erumeli and Pamba, as there is no direct The planned projects include an 1,800 TPD plant at Bhalswa, a
railway connection along the corridor. 1,200 TPD facility at Narela-Bawana, an 800 TPD plant at Ghazipur
“The Railways Ministry should take steps to provide a railway and a 700 TPD facility at Singhola for processing fresh waste and
connection towards Sabarimala. It will help devotees as well as drain silt.
regular passengers from Theni district,” said Dharmendiran, a Officials said expanding waste processing infrastructure is critical
schoolteacher from Uthamapalayam who had earlier raised the as, apart from Okhla, around 3,500 MT of waste is dumped daily
demand. at the Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites. Delhi generates around
Theni’s rail connectivity was restored following the completion of 12,847 MT of municipal waste every day, while only 7,642 MT is
the Madurai-Bodinayakanur gauge-conversion project. The 90-km currently processed.
corridor, built at a cost of around `593 crore, brought passenger
train services back to the district. NEW CONNECTIVITY CORRIDOR BETWEEN KATRA
The proposed Theni-Erumeli line would extend the existing rail EXPRESSWAY AND AMRITSAR AIRPORT PROPOSED
network westwards from Theni towards Kerala, potentially improving Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has urged Union Road Transport
connectivity between southern Tamil Nadu and the Sabarimala and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to approve an elevated
pilgrimage region. corridor connecting Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee InternationaAmritsar-
Katra Expressway, citing the need to strengthen Amritsar’s road
MCD FAST-TRACKS TWO WASTE MANAGEMENT infrastructure ahead of rising traffic pressure.
INITIATIVES AT OKHLA In a statement issued recently, Aujla said Amritsar, a key
Under pressure to create additional municipal waste processing international gateway, was already witnessing heavy congestion
capacity, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has on Airport Road. He warned that traffic challenges could increase
accelerated work on two major waste management projects at further once the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway becomes fully
the Okhla landfill site. operational and the proposed international cricket stadium is
The projects include a fresh waste processing plant with a capacity developed.
of 1,400 metric tonnes per day (MTD) and a construction and The MP proposed an elevated corridor from Gumtala Bypass
demolition (C&D) waste processing facility with a capacity of 1,000 through the airport at Rajasansi to the roundabout near Morcha
MTD. Officials said nearly 3,200 MT of fresh waste is currently being Sahib Gurdwara on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. He said
dumped at the Okhla landfill every day. the project would provide signal-free connectivity between the
During an inspection visit, MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar airport, expressway and the city, helping reduce travel time and
was informed that construction of the fresh waste processing plant ease congestion.
has started on a 10-acre site. The `153-crore project is targeted Aujla requested Gadkari to direct the National Highways Authority
for completion by the end of October. of India (NHAI) to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a
Officials said fresh waste from the South, West, Najafgarh and detailed project report (DPR) at the earliest. He also sought priority
Central zones is currently transported to Okhla for disposal. status for the project to facilitate its early implementation.
Reducing fresh waste dumping is considered essential for The MP said the proposed corridor would boost connectivity,
flattening the landfill site within the planned December-end support tourism, trade and religious travel, and help manage
timeline. future traffic growth in Amritsar

44 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|JULY 2026