In a decision expected to boost the pace of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) development in Rajasthan, the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF & CC) has recommended the grant of Environment Clearance to the proposed Jodhpur Pali Marwar Industrial Area (JPMIA) project. JPMIA, which has been identified as one of the eight Investment Regions to be developed in the first phase of DMIC, covers a total area of around 154 sq km, out of which around 64 sq km is proposed to be urbanised, while the rest is planned as a ‘Peripheral Control Belt’, with agriculture being the primary activity, to avoid haphazard development, especially along roads and adjacent to the development sites. The project site is located 40 km from Jodhpur and 25 km from Pali along the border of the two districts. The DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC), which plans to complete the JPMIA in three phases (2022, 2032 and 2042), will develop infrastructure such as roads, water supply and sewage network, electricity supply infrastructure, CETP and sewage treatment plant in Phase-I, and then open it up for investors to establish industrial units. The total cost for infrastructure development has been estimated at Rs 10,000 crore, with total employment generation projected to be around 90,000 by 2022 and up to 390,000 by 2042. “JPMIA, like all DMIC cities will be developed as a model of sustainability. It will promote the industrial, trade and tourism activities driven by local strengths, including natural resources and indigenous crafts, create employment opportunities for the local youth,” says Alkesh Sharma, CEO and Managing Director, DMICDC. “It will act as a key logistics hub for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) in the overall Marwar region.” The Master Plan for JPMIA was notified in November last year, and the 2042 land use plan is designed to ensure absolute minimum requirement for resettlement of the existing population. The identified ‘Abadi’ areas and existing water bodies will be protected with green buffers and strict planning controls to prevent unauthorised developments and activities. It has also been planned to ensure maximum benefits to the regional tourism industry and to realize the latent potential of existing natural and cultural sites of attraction. JPMIA will have top class internal public transport as well as connectivity with neighbouring urban centres in Rajasthan; the development of a 21-km Pali-Sojat bypass is also proposed. Included in the city plan is an Integrated Multi Modal Logistics Hub (IMMLH) spread over 2 sq km, with the capacity to handle cargo of up to 25 MT per annum to service the region. Industry categories identified as ideal for JPMIA include textile and apparel, building material, motor vehicles and auto components, handicraft, computers, electronic and optical products and machinery and equipment, all of which will create significant economic opportunities for Rajasthan. The Rajasthan government will be initiating the process for acquisition of land for Phase-I development of JPMIA.