The Centre on Friday said despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, 3,951 km of highways were constructed in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The Nitin Gakdari-led Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said it achieved a road building rate of 21.60 km per day despite the prevailing situation.
“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has successfully completed construction of road length of 3,951 km during the first six months of this fiscal year (April-September). It has achieved a construction pace of 21.60 km per day despite COVID-19 difficulties,” the ministry said in a statement. It has set an ambitious target of constructing 11,000 km road during this fiscal year.
The Central road-making agency, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), also said it awarded projects for building 1,330 km of highways in April-September, up 60 per cent from the year-ago period despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects awarded by NHAI were valued at Rs 47,289 crore.
“NHAI has awarded projects for a total cumulative length of 1,330 km in the current financial year. The projects awarded so far in first half of the current financial year are 1.6 times higher of 828 km awarded in FY19-20 and 3.5 times higher of 373 km awarded in FY 18-19 during the same period,” NHAI said in a statement.
It said the feat was achieved despite challenges posed by the pandemic and for the awarded projects, it has already completed at least 80-90 percent of the land acquisition, utilities shifting besides obtaining required forest and environment clearances.
During first half of the ongoing fiscal year, NHAI awarded a total of 40 projects covering 1,330 km length, it said adding that the capital cost of these 40 projects is Rs 47,289 crore, which includes cost of civil work, land acquisition, and other pre- construction activities. NHAI has set a target of awarding 4,500 km of projects during 2020-21 and is likely to exceed the target, it said.