Surat-Chennai economic corridor runs into green hurdle
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Surat-Chennai economic corridor runs into green hurdle

A key segment of the ambitious Surat-Chennai economic corridor has hit a serious ecological hurdle. The nearly Rs 140 billion project has run into trouble with the Union Environment Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for infrastructure projects over its proposed 290 km long greenfield Surat-Nashik-Ahmednagar section, which falls in pristine and untouched areas of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

The EAC has, in a July 21-22 meeting, said that the stakeholder ministry/department should upgrade along the existing National Highway alignment instead of running into 'virgin and ecologically sensitive new parts of Western Ghat areas'.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are preparing to 'appeal' with the Environment ministry to reconsider its view and allow leeway for the national connectivity project which will ultimately link up Delhi to Chennai through an access-controlled corridor.

The project has been a major political and economic talking point for the infrastructure boost it will bring to the region.

"We will appeal with the EAC. Packages for so many segments linking up to this corridor have already been awarded. This was to be an access-controlled expressway - a key link off the Golden Quadrilateral for national connectivity. We are very mindful of environmental concerns and have always prioritised them and the new alignment will in fact reduce affected area and use modern technology to minimise environmental damage. However, there is no other alternative alignment possible and upgrading the existing one defeats the very purpose of the corridor," a senior official was reported to have said.

See also:
Road sector records maximum number of delayed projects
Breakthrough in the Delhi-Dehradun expressway project


A key segment of the ambitious Surat-Chennai economic corridor has hit a serious ecological hurdle. The nearly Rs 140 billion project has run into trouble with the Union Environment Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for infrastructure projects over its proposed 290 km long greenfield Surat-Nashik-Ahmednagar section, which falls in pristine and untouched areas of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. The EAC has, in a July 21-22 meeting, said that the stakeholder ministry/department should upgrade along the existing National Highway alignment instead of running into 'virgin and ecologically sensitive new parts of Western Ghat areas'. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are preparing to 'appeal' with the Environment ministry to reconsider its view and allow leeway for the national connectivity project which will ultimately link up Delhi to Chennai through an access-controlled corridor. The project has been a major political and economic talking point for the infrastructure boost it will bring to the region. We will appeal with the EAC. Packages for so many segments linking up to this corridor have already been awarded. This was to be an access-controlled expressway - a key link off the Golden Quadrilateral for national connectivity. We are very mindful of environmental concerns and have always prioritised them and the new alignment will in fact reduce affected area and use modern technology to minimise environmental damage. However, there is no other alternative alignment possible and upgrading the existing one defeats the very purpose of the corridor, a senior official was reported to have said. See also: Road sector records maximum number of delayed projectsBreakthrough in the Delhi-Dehradun expressway project

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code