Development Watch – June ’22 Week #1
Development News
Cover Image Source: Business Fights Poverty
India-Bangladesh “Bandhan Express” Train resumes services
As the pandemic recedes, discussions are changing from investing in crypto to increasing prices of grocery and rent. Cost of availing cabs, gas and other utility bills, and eating out have become more expensive. Youth are making lifestyle adjustments to compensate for the rising inflation. India’s retail inflation is at an 8 year high of 7.79%, owing to increased food and fuel prices
Gen Z Faces the heat of Price Rise
Train services between Kolkata (India) and Khulna (Bangladesh) resumed on May 29, 2022. The passenger train service had been suspended last two years due to the pandemic. It covers a distance of about 160 kms and runs two days a week. Bandhan Express has a capacity of 450 passengers. It provides AC Chair Car and Executive class seats.
Foundation of Multi Modal Logistics Park laid in Chennai
The MMLP is part of union government’s Gati-Shakti National Master Plan. Foundation stone of the logistics park was laid by the PM on May 26. The 185 acre development will be located in Mappedu, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. CBRE South Asia is the advisor for the development of the MMLP. It will have facilities for warehouses, cold storage, cargo terminals and truck terminals to address last-mile delivery.
World’s largest Solar Park to be Commissioned in Rajasthan
Jaipur-based Rays Power Experts will be setting up a 3000 MW capacity plant on a 9000 acre area in Bikaner. This would be the first and only 100% privately owned ultra mega solar park in the country, connected to the central transmission system.
Bhubaneswar introduces App-based Smart Parking
Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd has introduced Mo parking app for the 4km long Janpath road stretch. The road has rows of shops, malls and commercial establishments on one side and government quarters and residential complexes on the other. Parking was the biggest challenge on the stretch, which has now become “Smart Janpath”
NEC Corporation, Japan to Invest in 5G, Smart Cities
The company would invest in smart cities projects and 5G infrastructure in India. It will give a new dimension to India-Japan cooperation.
Woman Sarpanch in UP cuts plastic usage by 75%
Behind the feat is Priyanka Tiwari, the woman Sarpanch of Rajpur Gram Panchayat in Uttar Pradesh. In a year’s time, she implemented a plastic ban, greywater recycling, along with establishing a crematorium and a library. Always socially conscious, 29 years old Priyanka contested the 2019 Gram Panchayat elections, and won. The very next day, plastic was banned.
The panchayat distributed cloth bags to shopkeepers, roadside vendors, and houses as the first step. Secondly, they imposed a fine of Rs. 500/- on them. Simultaneously, awareness classes on the damage caused by plastic were also conducted in schools and colleges. Monetary rewards were given to children who would collect plastic bags. For greywater management, community soak pits were set up in 4 corners of the village. For her efforts, the Sarpanch has won the State Cash Award.
Projects in North-East worth 1,34,200 Crores being executed
The Centre is implementing several rail, road and air connectivity projects worth Rs 1,34,200 crore in the northeast region. 20 railway projects and 15 air connectivity projects are spread across the region. Work is being carried out to develop the National Waterways on the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. Other projects in the north east include power transmission and distribution, mobile networks, 4G solutions and broadband connectivity.
Rural India has better access to Banking now
Financial inclusion and credit flow to the rural economy are improving. This would accelerate growth of non-urban centres in India. Net financial savings of the household sector grew more than 3% points to 11.5%. Pension funds and insurance funds are leading the gains. Total banking outlets in villages grew around 52% last year. The FI-Index (financial inclusion) by RBI registered a CAGR of 5.5% between 2017 and 2021.
Local Feedback
LocalFeedback.org aims to track and document actionable parameters that help improve urban and rural infrastructure. The founder, Susmita, has juggled diverse roles in real estate, project budgeting, valuation and execution on construction sites. Having traveled to more than 20 countries, she has worked across 4 regions in India. Her areas of interest include sustainable buildings, electric mobility and urban development. She visited top-ranking cities on livability indices and has presented published papers at international conferences.