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The government of India signed a $500 million loan agreement with the World Bank to develop a safe and Green National Highways Corridor Project in the states of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
About Green National Highways Corridor Project
The objective of the project
To demonstrate safe and green National Highway corridors in selected States and enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in mainstreaming safety and green technologies
Components of the project
This project has the following three components.
- The first component, Green Highway Corridor Improvement and Maintenance, includes
- Upgradation and maintenance for five years of about 783 kilometers of selected existing National Highways in the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh incorporating green technologies and
- Demonstrating resource efficiency, climate resilience, green and safety aspects.
- The second component, Institutional Capacity Enhancement, has the following subcomponents:
- Development and implementation of a Climate Adaptation Policy and guidelines and mainstreaming climate resilience in National Highways design and construction processes
- Development and implementation of policy for reducing emissions from transport services
- Research and Development and mainstreaming green technologies in National Highways design and construction processes
- Development and implementation of guidelines and model documents for mainstreaming safety and green technologies
- Mainstreaming safety and green technologies in the development of highways; and
- Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution in Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and its implementing agencies.
- The third component, Road Safety, has the following subcomponents:
- Support to improve road safety data analytics and highway safety monitoring and implementation
- Support for operationalization of the National Road Safety Board
- Strengthening highway patrol and emergency response along the project highway
Significance of the project
- This project will provide efficient transportation for road users in the four states, connect people with markets and services, promote efficient use of construction materials and water to reduce the depletion of scarce natural resources, and help lower GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions
- The project will strengthen and widen existing structures by constructing new pavements, drainage facilities and bypasses, improve junctions and introduce road safety features
- The project would also support analytics to map the freight volume and movement pattern on the national highway network, identify constraints, and provide innovative logistics solutions.
Source: Economic Times
