Browse ››
Warning: Undefined array key "archive_date_prefix" in
/var/www/web/indiantollways.com/wp-content/plugins/breadcrumb-navigation-xt/breadcrumb-navigation-xt.php on line
392
Warning: Undefined array key "archive_date_suffix" in
/var/www/web/indiantollways.com/wp-content/plugins/breadcrumb-navigation-xt/breadcrumb-navigation-xt.php on line
394
Home › December 2013
By Express News Service – ROURKELA
Faced with inordinate delay in land acquisition and rehabilitation of people to be displaced by upgradation of NH-143 and 520 running through Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Deogarh districts, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has taken up the issue with respective Collectors to expedite the process.
Sources said NHAI regional officer LP Padhi, who wrapped up his two-day visit on Saturday, along with other NHAI officials, met Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia and his Keonjhar counterpart BP Sahoo requesting them to expedite land acquisition process.
He also discussed various issues related to NHAI concessionaires.
An NHAI official said besides land acquisition, they are facing problems in getting permission for felling trees. Besides, the forest land diversion proposals are moving at a snail’s pace.
After a meeting at Rajgangpur, Sundargarh Collector said the land acquisition process is in compensation disbursement stage for NH-143 which is to be four-laned from Birmitrapur to Rajamunda. He assured of removing the hurdles for NH-520 passing through Koida and Lahunipara blocks of Bonai sub-division.
NHAI Manager (Technical) MM Sahu said the NH-143 stretch of around 88 kms from Birmitrapur to Rajamunda would be four-laned while the remaining stretch of around 37 kms from Rajamunda to Barkote in Deogarh district would be two-laned.
The Birmitrapur-Barkote Tollway Ltd, a subsidiary of NHAI concessionaire Gammon Infrastructure Ltd, would execute the project at an estimated cost of ` 778.6 crore and the project includes second Brahmani bridge at Rourkela, Sahu said. It would be completed on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
Regarding the NH-520 project, NHAI Manager (Technical) Debabrata Kundu said they have apprised Keonjhar Collector of delay in the project and he has assured of necessary support.
Kundu further said of 96 kms stretch from Rimuli to Rajamunda, running through Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts, around 84 kms would be four-laned and remaining 12 kms two-laned.
Source-http://www.newindianexpress.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
The C Rangarajan panel recommended the guidelines prescribing bailout packages for developers of highway projects and the task of implementation lie with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI.
The panel recommended that 75% of the premium amount payable to the government will be restricted in the first three years of the contract.
Further it recommended that the road developers should submit the entire premium amount three years before the completion of full contract. At present companies pay some amount of premium to the government in the first year of the project which keeps increasing in the subsequent years.
The panel’s recommendations, if accepted, will lead to huge reduction in the premium payment in the first years. As a result, it will provide relief to the developers like GMR Infrastructure Ltd and GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd and 23 other road developers.
Background
The panel was appointed by the Government in October 2013 o fine-tune and decide all terms and conditions of the bailout policy for the road developer who were pulling out of road projects due to the premium burdens.
The six-member panel is headed by the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan. The other members of the panel include Secretary Planning Commission Sindhushree Khullar, Expenditure Secretary R.S. Gujral, Secretary, Economic Advisory Council Alok Sheel, Roads Secretary Vijay Chhibber, Joint Secretary Road Transport and Highways Rohit Kumar Singh and Chairman National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) R.P. Singh.
Earlier in October 2013, the Cabinet note, which included suggestions of the finance ministry, planning commission and law ministry, had suggested that developers pay a discount rate of 12% on the premium payment and also pay a penalty of up to 0.5% of the total project cost in case default was on their part.
The proposal says if toll revenues turn out to be more than projected, the money left after servicing debt and other necessary costs would go to NHAI as advance payment.
Further the concessionaire cannot claim return to equity till premium equals or exceeds what was originally quoted for that particular year.
The highways sector has seen a drastic reversal of fortune since 2012-13 with developers and financiers steering clear of the sector even while multiple projects have failed to take-off.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) managed to award only 479-km till now as against target of 3000 kms by September 2013. In the previous financial year, only 1,116-km was awarded against the target of 9,500-km.
Source- http://www.jagranjosh.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
Conducts a safety audit; to repair 6 major bridges between Dehu Rd and Satara
After several lives were lost in highway accidents, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has finally woken up to the risk factors for highway commuters. They are in the process of sending a safety audit report to New Delhi before starting repair works on six major bridges — from Dehu Road to Satara — which are unsafe for commuters and require urgent repairs.
The revelation comes in the wake of tragic death of four employees of an advertisement firm based in Pune early last month. The driver of the car missed the gap between the bridges on near Nira river and their car plunged into the river. The spot likes 70 km from Pune on Pune-Satara Road.
The PS Toll Roads, a subsidiary agency of Reliance Infra, had submitted a letter to NHAI on November 25. The letter stated that urgent repairs, including crash barriers and fencing were required at various places on the stretch. Taking note of the letter, NHAI swung into action and asked two other companies to carry out the safety audit report.
NHAI project director Rajesh Kaundal, said, “Following the report submitted by Reliance we asked RH Associates and a third party safety consultant to conduct a safety audit. They will submit a detailed report soon. Once we receive the data, we will send it to our head office in New Delhi.”
“Our safety consultants are also looking into the contract with Reliance and see what repairs works they should carry as per the tender. We have to get in principal approval for the work. Along with that we also need finance for the work. Once we get the final approval from our head office we will start the work,” Kaundal added.
The NHAI sent the report of the financial implication to their head office last week. They will be send a detailed report for the in principal approval by the end of next week. The authorities claimed that the groundwork will only start next year.
Source-http://www.dnaindia.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
NEW DELHI: Is it because mostly poor and vulnerable people die on roads that safety policies are taking a backseat in India? At least some global road safety experts and legal luminaries feel so as figures show one person dies in every three minutes from road accidents in the country.
Speaking at a conference on Strengthening Road Safety Legislation in the national capital On Saturday, Delhi High Court judge justice J R Midha said that though India lose over 1.38 lakh lives every year in road crashes the issue has never found traction because mostly “poor” die on roads.
Director of violence and injury prevention at World Health Organization (WHO) Etienne Kurg said that half of the people dying in road crashes cannot afford a car. He observed since majority of the victims are not high profile the road safety issue and policies are not priority in many countries.
Out of the over 12 lakh people killed on roads across the globe, around 50% are pedestrians or cyclists. The pattern is similar in major Indian cities, including Delhi.
Pushing for strong and actionable legislation, experts from WHO and World Bank said that the pending amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act should be passed by Parliament. The amendments mainly focus on increasing penalty for traffic violations and are aimed at reducing fatalities. Globally, increase in penalty and good enforcement has worked in making roads safer.
On Saturday, road transport and highways minister Oscar Fernandes announced government’s vision to reduce deaths by 50%. Fernandes said strengthening motor vehicle related legislation will certainly result in road safety.
However, while regretting for disruptions in Parliament proceedings Fernandes said efforts will be made to get the Motor Vehicle Act passed in the ongoing winter session. “The Bill (Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill) is listed. Every day I am trying that the Bill is passed in Lok Sabha but unfortunately no business is being transacted. In the last two days we will make every effort that it is passed,” Fernades said.
The minister added that if the House is extended by a couple of days then they should be able to take it up.
Amid reports of high fatalities on Indian roads, Krug said that there are countries that have set example of building more roads, adding more vehicles and yet reducing fatalities and crashes. “There is no single magic bullet. There have to be several legislations, enforcement norms and constant monitoring,” he added.
Source-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Motor
TNN
PANAJI: The PWD is building a 1.5km long two-lane service road at Porvorim – starting from the teachers’ training college up to journalists’ colony. The cost of the project is 2.5 crore and it is expected to be completed by May 2014.
PWD sources said that there are a number of internal roads intersecting the national highway-17 along this 1.5km stretch and traffic from these internal roads enters the NH17 causing disruption to the smooth flow of traffic. Once the service road is commissioned, all the internal traffic will move on to the service road and join the national highway only at the roundabout near the journalists’ colony where the service road joins the highway.
Similarly, traffic coming from Panaji and heading towards internal roads will take a right turn at the journalists colony roundabout to take the service road.
Each lane of the two-lane service road will have a width of 3.75m plus a footpath of 1.5m on one side. The service road also has provision for utilities including electrical and other cables, sources said.
Source-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
Press Trust of India | Chandigarh
Kaithal-Ambala national highway would be four-laned at a cost of Rs 728 crore, a state minister said today.
Expressing gratitude towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singhand UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for approval of the project, Haryana Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said that this 90-km-long national highway would especially benefit three districts of Ambala, Kaithal and Kurukshetra.
He said separate bypasses would be constructed for the towns of Kaithal, Pehowa and Ismailabad which were situated between Kaithal and Ambala.
With the approval of this project, the long-standing demand of the people of the area has been fulfilled, he said, in an official release here.
Surjewala said that for the development of Kaithal an 18-km-long separate bypass would be constructed.
Also, a corridor from Kotputli to Ambala at a cost of Rs 1300 crore would be setup which would open new business and employment opportunities for the residents of Kaithal, he added.
Source-http://www.business-standard.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Uncategorized
TNN |
VADODARA: Motorists will no longer have to face the nightmare when they reach the Dumad crossroads on the national highway in the city. The junction also lead to frequent accidents and figured in the list of places prone to accidents prepared by the city police.
The intersection on the national highway has roads leading to the city, Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway and the Savli road. Motorists had to be careful while negotiating the intersection due to traffic movement in multiple directions. The intersection was also a busy one and witnessed movement of heavy vehicles.
Officials at the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said that the present ‘at grade’ junction will be completely done away with. An interchange with two integrating flyovers at Dumad and Vadodara has been planned to meet the growing traffic demands of people travelling from and to Savli, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat directions at this junction.
The proposed flyover is having six arms and service roads are planned to get access to this interchange. Sources said that it was expected that the work would be completed within two years. The work is a part of the six laning of Ahmedabad-Vadodara Section of the NH-8.
Union minister of state for road transport and highways Dr Tushar Chaudhary will lay the foundation stone kicking off the work on the intersection. Chaudhary will also inaugurate and an electronic toll collection plaza at Vadodara toll booth of the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway. Electronic toll collection is based on the Radio Frequency Identificaiton (RFID) technology.
A RFID tag that will essentially be a prepaid tag will be affixed in the upper central portion of the vehicle’s windscreen. It will work as a prepaid toll account and there will be automatic toll deduction when a vehicle crosses a toll plaza. The system was launched earlier this year at Mumbai.
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Flyovers
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under Default
ECO-MARATHON 2013 ROTTERDAM – HIGHLIGHTS
The Shell Eco-marathon is a competition for students to push self-built machines to the limits of fuel efficiency. Liquid-fuel cars and electric vehicles must travel a set distance with the least amount fuel or electric energy possible.
At the 2013 event in May, the top teams achieved nearly 3,000km from one litre of gasoline or a single kilowatt-hour of electricity, calculating their car’s efficiency from several ten-lap sessions completed at 25kph.
200 teams from 24 nations entered (Shell also hosts Eco-marathons in the US and Asia) and car design varied hugely. However, each fit into one of two categories. The Prototypes are built for pure efficiency – stripped to the minimum they’re ultra-streamlined and lightweight. The more practical UrbanConcept cars have upright seats, lights and windscreen wipers.
“Our hope is that students take away insights into new energies and how to solve real problems,” says Norman Koch, technical director of Shell Eco-marathon, who oversees technical and safety inspections. “We want them, in their future lives, to have an appreciation for the energy challenge that lies ahead of us and a backpack of ideas and knowledge about how to address it.”
Although innovative design and advances are a given at the three global events, Shell isn’t using the Eco-marathons to mine for game-changing ideas. Instead, it hopes to inspire participants to consider a future in science or engineering.
It’s part of Shell’s commitment to what it calls Smarter Mobility. With this in mind, teams choose from a variety of fuel types. “We offer seven different options to teams,” says Koch. “From gasoline and diesel, to biofuels – like ethanol and FAME – and gas-to-liquid. And there’s hydrogen for fuel cells and battery EVs.”
Source-http://www.wired.co.uk/
TNN |
HYDERABAD: After the Volvo accident at Palem in Mahbubnagar district, fingers were pointed at the faulty road geometrics by various government agencies, including Crime Investigation Department (CID), during their preliminary enquiry.
However, to the shock of CID officials, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) senior officials on Wednesday wrote a letter to additional director-general of police (CID) T.Krishna Prasad, asserting that the road design is ‘flawless’.
Credible sources in the CID told TOI that, in a written reply to it, the NHAI asserted this point.
The CID sought NHAI’s opinion to know if there was any defect in the road design, especially near the culvert, where the driver of Jabbar Travels bus hit the structure. Forty-five passengers were charred to death in the incident. “Project director, NHAI, Ramesh Reddy said that there was absolutely no fault with the culvert design or its construction,” the sources said.
Family members of the bus victims have been knocking on the door of every institution, including Lokayukta, demanding action against influential JC Uma Reddy in whose name the bus was registered. But she is yet to be questioned by CID officials.
Investigators said scrutinizing documents was almost done and soon Uma Reddy, bus driver, bus operator, ticket booking agents, RTA officials and others would be questioned. The RTA officials are likely to be investigated as there were 52 passengers against the actual seating capacity of 43+2.
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under buses
« Previous Page — Next Page »
