States approach Centre to expedite projects around heritages sites

05 Sep 2019 CW Team

The governments of three states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar have asked the Centre to speed up the approval of new and old projects that have been dormant in terms of construction due to their proximity to heritage sites and structures.

Reportedly, the states approached the Cultural Ministry for the same and it is expected that around 180 private projects that have been affected will be assessed in the next few days.

Recently, the ministry had launched an online application processing system called NOC to aid in granting of approval by the National Monument Authority, for building projects in prohibited areas around monuments in six states – Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand and Telangana.

NMA, under the Cultural Ministry, is now seeking to work on digitisation of local bodies in the three states. As per the new system initiated by NMA, the time for online approval for projects around Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments now falls to under 30 days as compared to the previous duration of four months. It is now taking steps to integrate this portal with the respective states to expedite all requests.

As per ASI regulations, an area up to 100 metres from protected monuments is treated as prohibited for construction.

Infrastructure Transport

06 May 2026

Pune To Build Nine Km Link Road Between Highways

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to appoint an expert to plan the development of a nine km long, 60 metre wide road from Khadi Machine chowk to Wadki chowk as an extension to the Katraj-Kondhwa road to link the Mumbai-Satara and Pune-Solapur national highways. The scheme is intended to divert heavy vehicle traffic away from the city and improve access between the two arterial routes. The project has been prioritised by the PMC and forms part of a larger set of schemes in which 19 roads have been identified for development at a combined cost of Rs 9.82 billion (bn) to address c..

Barabanki Bahraich Six Lane Highway Approved in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved construction of a new six-lane highway linking Barabanki and Bahraich as part of National Highway 927, and the cabinet has cleared the project. The alignment will pass through Mustafabad and Kaiserganj and extend for about 101.5 km, creating a key corridor for local and long-distance movement. The National Highways Authority of India will oversee the work and has signalled the scheme is intended to strengthen regional connectivity and cross-border access to Nepal. The project carries an estimated total cost of Rs 69,690 million, equivalent to Rs 69.69..

Toll At Kharegaon Likely As Highway Upgrade Nears Completion

A section of the highway at Kharegaon has undergone an upgrade and is approaching completion, and authorities have indicated plans for a toll to be introduced once works finish. The project has focused on strengthening the carriageway, improving drainage and upgrading intersections to enhance safety and capacity. Officials have said the toll will be used to recover construction costs and fund ongoing maintenance. The upgrade included resurfacing of the pavement, widening of certain stretches and installation of modern signage and lighting to reduce accident risk. Contractors completed most ma..