The incredible £101bn megaproject to build a new 21k-mile road network | World | News
An incredible network of roads that will cover 21,000 miles (34,800 km) across 31 states and union territories and over 550 districts in India is being built at a cost of £101 billion.
Bharatmala Pariyojana is an ambitious road and highway development project launched by the Government of India.
The Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced that Phase-I of the Narendra Modi government’s flagship Bharatmala Pariyojana, which has exceeded its initial budget, is now expected to be completed by 2027-28, according to its 2023-24 annual report.
The report also noted that a revised financial proposal for the Bharatmala Pariyojana is currently under review for approval.
The program, initially approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in June 2017, is designed to transform India’s road network.
The project primarily focuses on developing 26,000 km of economic corridors, expected to handle a significant portion of India’s road freight traffic, alongside the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) and the North-South and East-West (NS-EW) Corridors.
Additionally, 8,000 km of interstate corridors and 7,500 km of feeder routes have been identified to enhance the efficiency of these economic corridors, reports Money Control.
The project, which has exceeded its initial expenditure limits, is currently awaiting approval for a revised financial proposal.
Initially estimated at £626,713 (Rs 6.92 lakh crore), the Bharatmala project is funded through multiple channels, including the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund cess, remittances, budgetary support, highway monetisation, internal and extra-budgetary resources, and private sector investments.
However, rising project and land acquisition costs have prompted a review of the financial plans, which are currently under consideration.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report also highlights its Vision 2047 for the national highways sector, which aims to provide high-speed corridor access within 100-150 km for all citizens.
This vision includes enhancing passenger convenience by introducing world-class amenities across the country’s highways.
As the government advances this critical infrastructure initiative, the revised financial proposals will be vital for the timely and successful completion of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I.
The project’s main goals include improving connectivity between rural and urban areas, reducing travel time, boosting economic activity, and enhancing access to border regions and ports.
Bharatmala also focuses on building economic corridors, feeder routes, and inter-corridor roads, as well as upgrading road infrastructure in India’s northeastern states.
By enabling faster and more efficient movement of goods and people, Bharatmala is expected to significantly contribute to India’s economic growth and regional development.
