Maha push for Raigad marine highway, Pune Metro
MUMBAI: In a boost to infrastructure in Konkan and Pune, the state on Friday made allocations for a ‘marine highway’ in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Konkan, and outlays for expansion of the Pune Metro network and proposed construction of a 170-km ring road around Pune city. The state budget also proposed an economic corridor in Satara district. These projects are estimated to cost ₹24,157 crore.
Deputy chief minister and state finance minister Ajit Pawar gave a push to “materialise” the marine highway between Revas in Raigad district to Redi in Sindhudurg district. Pawar, in his speech, said the development of Konkan is a “matter of priority” for the government and it intends to finish work on the highway in the next three years. The state budget announced that the existing highway (NH4) would be concretised and bridges will be constructed on the creek section of the roads to augment its capacity.
“The Revas to Redi marine highway is still under-construction. The entire highway will be concretised and bridges will be built over the creeks at Bankot, Kelshi, Dabhol and Jaigad. For this, ₹3,500-crore funds are required. Our government intends to complete this work in the next three years. Funds will also be made available to complete the work through the Maharashtra [State] Road Development Corporation in a timebound manner,” Pawar announced.
Konkan is important for the Shiv Sena, as it is considered a stronghold of the party. The party aims to strengthen the infrastructure in the region that would also help boost tourism—one of the major sources of income, besides orchards and fishing—in the region. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is already in the process of four-laning the Mumbai-goa Highway.
To decongest Pune, the state has proposed a ring road around Pune city to divert traffic coming from Nashik, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. “An expenditure of ₹15,000 crore is expected [for the project], including land acquisition. The MSRDC will start work in the current year and the road will be completed in four years,” Pawar said.
Pawar said his government would allot more funds for the Pune Metro than what was provided in the past five years. The Pune Pimpri-chinchwad Metro has seen an allocation of ₹1,657 crore for 2020-21.
“In addition to the Man-hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route under Pune Metro, two new lines – Shivajinagar to Shevalevadi and Man to Pirangut – will be started. The Metro line from Vanaj to Ramwadi will be extended from Vanaj to Chandani Chowk and Ramwadi to Wagholi. Also, the length of the line from Pimpri-chinchwad to Swargate will be increased, to extend it from Swargate to Katraj and from Pimpri-chinchwad to Nigdi,” he announced.
The new airports at Solapur and Pune will be constructed, while funds will be made available for construction of airports in Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Akola and Amravati districts. The government has allocated ₹78 crore for this scheme.
The state also said it intends to develop an economic corridor in
Satara district under the Bengaluru-mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC), on the lines of the Delhi-mumbai Industrial Corridor. “Sangli and Solapur districts will also benefit from it, besides Satara. The estimated cost of this project is ₹4,000 crore,” the finance minister said.
The minister announced that four of the 20 agricultural nodes or Krishi Samruddi Kendras along the Mumbai-nagpur Expressway will be constructed by the end of the year.
Pawar said the previous government could not achieve the financial closure for the expressway, which is named after Sena founder Bal Thackeray, but this government has provided “additional equity of ₹8,500 crore”.
The state has allocated ₹1,000 crore to develop main market roads in urban areas. Under the rural road development scheme, work on 4000km road will be taken up and completed by 2025. An outlay of ₹1501 crore has been proposed. The state also gave in-principle approval nofd for an expenditure of ₹86 crore for water transport between Bhayandar and Dombivli.