Union Minister of road transport and highways of India, Nitin Gadkari encouraged the industry professionals and engineers in the nation to participate and contribute to the utilization of the great potential of the Indian infrastructure sector which includes the construction of roads, connectivity of rivers, waste management of solid as well as liquid elements, irrigation, ropeways, parking plaza, cable car projects and bus ports as well.
While addressing the same at the national conference for civil engineers as well as professionals, which was conducted by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE), the minister mentioned that the government is working towards the making of logistics parks and 26 green express highways in the country of Rs 2 lakh crore. Alongside, many other innovative ideas are being worked upon in ways that can be helpful for the development of infrastructure shortly.
Adding further, Gadkari said that the Indian infrastructure sector has great potential and a bright future. Mentioning the need to accept the best science, analysis, invention, and business techniques from both abroad and within India, the minister emphasized the function of civil engineers by saying, ” We should use alternative materials to reduce cost without compromising on quality.”
“I have decided to make Indian road infrastructure up to the road infrastructure standards of the USA before the end of 2024”, said Nitin Gadkari.
Quoting the instances of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Worli-Bandra Sealink, and discussing how to use financial markets for public infrastructure projects, Gadkari added that under InvIT, the idea of the ministry is to give poor people a 7%–8% monthly return on their investment in exchange for their money. The ministry has decided to use the capital markets as they will sell shares to one person for a maximum of Rs. 10 lakh; they will invest, and this way, the funds can be easily raised.
Currently, the toll revenue of the union ministry of road transport and highways is Rs 40,000 crore per day and by the end of the year 2024, it is likely to reach Rs 1.4 lakh crore, looking at which, money is not an issue. Gadkari also informed in the discussion that the project of Delhi-Mumbai Express highways has already been done 70%. The minister added that he dreams to enable citizens to travel from Nariman Point in Mumbai to Delhi within a span of 12 hours. The Delhi Mumbai Expressway is one of the most crucial transportation projects for the government recently. It is intended to link urban centers in the capital city to Mumbai via a spur in Mumbai that connects to Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Jewar Airport as well as the Delhi-Faridabad-Sohna leg of the corridor.
The toll revenue of the union ministry of road transport and Highway is Rs 40,000 crore per day and is likely to reach Rs 1.4 lakh crore by 2024.
Gadkari said, “I have decided to make Indian road infrastructure up to the road infrastructure standards of the USA before the end of 2024.”
Pitching the idea of greener alternatives for road construction to the engineers and industry professionals in the discussion, Gadkari said that they should look and find better alternatives to raw materials like cement that can prove to be sustainable in every possible way. In place of steel, glass fiber steel can be used, he mentioned. Comparing the two, low cost can be noticed and the material will become reasonable as well.
By claiming that green hydrogen is the fuel of the future and that it can be made from petroleum, coal, biomass, organic waste, and sewage water, the union minister advocated the use of alternative fuels. The minister also spoke of his desire to replace coal and petroleum with hydrogen, which can be used in a variety of ways in the chemical, fertilizer, vehicle, and transportation industries. Hydrogen may be made available to the public for $1/kg.