In a bid to bridge the crucial infrastructure gaps and optimize the effectiveness of road traffic movement throughout the country, the Government of India has initiated the “Bharatmala Pariyojana”. This comprehensive program for the highways sector envisages the development of about 34800 km of roads, which is slated to be completed in a phased manner.
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The Bharatmala Pariyojana was announced by Mr Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India with the vision to upgrade the road network in the nation. The funding for the scheme will be secured through the cess collected on petrol and diesel and the tax collected at toll booths, in addition to the budgetary support extended by the Government.
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Components of Bharatmala Project
- Economic Corridor – The central government has plans to construct 9000kms of Economic Corridors as per the guidelines of the road construction project.
- Feeder Route or Inter Corridor – A staggering 6000kms of roads fall under the Feeder Route or Inter Corridor category.
- National Corridor Efficiency Improvement – The scheme envisions the construction of 5000kms of roads under the category of National Corridor for better inter-connectivity between roads.
- Border Road and International Connectivity – The project aims to construct 2000kms of roads that fall in the Border Road or International Connectivity category to connect the cities and remote areas situated in the border regions.
- Port Connectivity and Coastal Road – The central government has mandated the construction of 2000km of roads to connect the areas along the shorelines and important ports.
- Green Field Expressway – The project lays major emphasis on the construction and development of Green Field Expressway for better management of traffic and freight.
- Balance NHDP Works – The project will see the construction and maintenance of about 10,000kms of new roads under the last segment.
The Bharatmala project aims to enhance the efficiency of the National Corridor including the Golden-Quadrilateral and North, South –East West corridor by alleviating the choke points through the construction of elevated corridors, bypasses, ring roads, lane expansion, and logistics parks at identified points.
The project plan includes the construction of Border Roads of strategic importance along international boundaries and International Connectivity roads to promote trade with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The program has identified around 26,200 km of Economic Corridors or routes that have heavy freight traffic. The program has planned to develop the identified Economic Corridors with heavy freight traffic, end to end to ensure seamless, speedy travel and uniformity in standards. Feeder Corridors will be developed to address the infrastructure asymmetry that exists in many places.
All projects implemented under Bharatmala are to be technically, financially, and economically appraised by an empowered Project Appraisal & Technical Scrutiny Committee to be set up in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
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