Bharatmala Project

National highway bid pipeline has recovered from a low of Rs 15,900 cr in December 2023 to Rs 68,400 cr in January 2024

Experts noted these approvals would be needed for the ministry to be able to infuse funds for awarding new projects

The policy will be implemented through a Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP), which will include key action areas

In line with earlier plans such as National Rail Plan and Maritime India Vision, NLP aims to bring sweeping changes in the current costly, polluting and congesting modal mix of Indian logistics

The need to construct national highways would come down after the completion of Bharatmala programme, according to the minister

Over the years, NHAI's expenses have spiraled due to sharp increase in land acquisition costs, while budgetary support has shrunk, leading it to fall back on internal resources and debt

The Bharatmala network designed on the shortest possible route connecting the origin and destination is bound to impact the existing network

Bharatmala is the largest highways project after the National Highways Development Programme

Experts feel that it is ideal to merge the projects within these two sectors

Land acquisition is seen to be the biggest hurdle to for Bharatmala project

Discussion with states has begun on the Union government's mega programme to build logistics parks across the country. The Union Cabinet last month approved setting up of logistics parks at 35 locations under the 'Bharatmala' programme. Work was to first start at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Surat and Nagpur for warehousing hubs. "Preparation of the detailed project report has started and in the next two-three months, project award would take place," an official, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard.The ministry of road transport & highways has asked the state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to change the proposed locations for a park each at Vijayawada and Chennai. The ministry and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) felt the sites indicated by both states weren't suitable; "they would not have garnered enough volumes to sustain", the official said."For a logistics park, location is everything - for instance, if one train rake can go to a location, then 10 ...

The large roads programme comes embedded with a clutch of associated issues

The govt had approved a mega plan to build 83,677 km of highways over the next five years at a cost of Rs 7 lakh crore

With the government approving the Rs 5.35-lakh-crore Bharat Mala project, NHAI Chairman Deepak Kumar says that the blueprint for a separate company for expressways is being prepared

Bharatmala is a welcome but challenging initiative

The government expects to go big time into the monestisation of operational projects

The roads that would be built under Bharatmala will include state highways, national highways, and some state roads across the country

Bharatmala is the largest highways project after the National Highway Development Programme