Development Watch – Week #2 March ’24
Development News
43 new Rail Projects in Chhattisgarh
The Indian PM inaugurated and laid the foundation of 43 railway projects in Chhattisgarh, including the Vande Bharat train maintenance depot in Bilaspur and MEMU car shed expansion in Bhilai. The projects in Chhattisgarh, with a total cost of Rs. 249 Crore, were part of a nationwide initiative involving the inauguration and foundation laying of 6,000 railway projects worth Rs. 85,000 crore via video conference. For Chhattisgarh, PM Modi inaugurated 40 projects of Rs. 124 Crores and laid the foundation stone of 3 projects costing Rs. 125 Crores. He inaugurated 34 stalls at 18 stations, including Raipur, Mandhar, Mandir Hasaud, Tilda-Nevra, Sarona and Urkura in Chhattisgarh under “One Station One Product” scheme.
Training in Drone Technology for rural women
Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has trained over 500 women in rural areas for drone technology. They have delivered 446 drones to women self help groups across 20 states till date. Through initiatives like “Namo Drone Didi Yojana”, Garuda Aerospace has played a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and economic empowerment in rural communities. The Namo Drone Didi Yojana scheme by centre aims to provide drones to 15,000 select Women SHGs to provide rental services to farmers for agricultural purposes.
Aviation training centres in Odisha
Odisha government led by the Chief Minister plans to establish Rs. 562 Crores Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) at Birasal airstrip. The Center aims to meet escalating demand for pilots and skilled personnel like simulators and cabin crew, creating 500 professionals annually. The training centre will be established in accordance with the Civil Aviation Policy-2022. India needs to produce 2,000 pilots annually over next 20 years to meet escalating demand. Amendments to NUA-O scholarship guidelines were approved. A total of 17 proposals were also approved.
Monthly global scenario in Shipping Sector
Global trade is at a relatively normal level compared to the frenzied days of the pandemic, yet shipping rates remain high. March is the traditional low season for the global logistics industry after the Christmas shopping period passes. Lunar New Year shutdowns in January and February result in fewer goods coming out of factories in Asia. In the low season, global logistics industry negotiates long term contracts, where even Game Theory is involved. Wars, pandemics, and financial crises affect shipping. Buyers consider availability of long-term capacity and excess capacity. Buyers and sellers also face the choice of following consumer demand or relying on sentiment.
Rs. 6,621 Crores for Frontier highway in Arunachal
The center has allocated Rs. 6,621 Crores for the construction of the frontier highway in Arunachal Pradesh. It spans a total length of 265 km. The project aims to foster socio-economic growth, curb migration, facilitate reverse migration, enable the development of hydropower projects, and promote tourism. Arunachal CM Pema Khandu welcomes the project for creating job opportunities.
L&T Finance to aid farmers and Women entrepreneurs
L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. has signed a pact with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for $125 million to fund farmers and women entrepreneurs in rural and semi-urban India. At least 40% of the funds will be allocated to women borrowers while rest will be disbursed to farmers, MSMEs and two-wheeler loans. In November 2023, L&T Finance sourced $125 million from ADB for a similar programme. Rural India is home to about 65% of the country’s population and widely supports the Indian economy, sustaining about 46% of the national GDP.
Dharavi redevelopment to commence in March
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt. Ltd. (DRPPL) will start the surveys to collect data from informal tenement residents of Dharavi from March 18. This data will be used by the State government to determine rehabilitation eligibility criteria under the proposed redevelopment project. DRPPL joint venture between Adani Group and Government of Maharashtra will also create a digital library of one of the world’s largest informal settlements. In November 2022, the Adani Group won the Rs. 23,000 Crores project to develop Asia’s largest slum cluster spread over 600 acres.
Dwarka Expressway opens for Gurgaon
The Indian PM inaugurated the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway. It will help improve the traffic flow, and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48. The 19-km long Haryana section of the 8-lane Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of 4,100 Crores. It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI airport in Delhi and Gurugram Bypass. The expressway is the largest on a single pier, has the longest and widest urban tunnel, tunnels which are impervious to blasts, and 75% elevation, among others. The estimated travel time for Delhi’s IGI airport is reduced to 30 minutes. Only designated sector roads that are connected to interchanges are allowed to enter the motorway, guaranteeing easy access to the main speedway. With 75% of the 28.5 km length elevated to separate expressway and city traffic, Dwarka Expway is essentially a flyway. Underpasses provide the 3rd level of traffic flow.
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.