Tunnel projects worth Rs 3L crore in next 10 yrs in India: Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that tunnelling projects worth Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lakh crore would be built in India over the next 10 years. Speaking at the inauguration of the International Workshop on Sustainable Tunnelling for Better Life at MIT World Peace University in Pune Gadkari said, 'There is big potential in tunnels. Over the next 10 years, we plan to build tunnel projects worth Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lakh crore. In Delhi under the Talkatora stadium to Gurgaon we have started the construction. In Bangalore we have started making a tunnel from both the sides of the city.'
He added, 'Many tunnelling machines come from China. Bringing spare parts and machines from China is a difficulty. I don't want to go into the details of that. But we will have to think about how to manufacture machines in our own country… To make this a reality, we must reduce construction costs without compromising quality. That means using new technologies and sustainable fuels like CNG, ethanol, hydrogen, and electric alternatives to diesel. Using diesel in drilling machines has to stop. We should also refurbish old tunnelling machines, import used ones from European countries like Austria, Norway, and Spain, and eventually manufacture our own.'
A Center of Excellence for Tunnelling and Underground Construction was also inaugurated at MIT-WPU, featuring a Tunnel Monitoring Laboratory and a Drilling & Blasting Laboratory. The Center of Excellence, set up in collaboration with Sandvik and Tata Projects Ltd., aims to support advanced research and training in underground construction technologies.
Arnold Dix, former president of the International Tunnelling Association, highlighted the importance of having practical experience before graduates are sent out into the workforce of tunnelling, ' For decades I have attended disasters and I know young men and women who lose their lives because they just don't know how to build the tunnels. And they work so hard but the skills section is to be absolutely supported, it is a wonderful thing. Too often, young workers are placed at risk because they lack the training needed to safely construct what has been so carefully designed.'
S K Dharmadhikari, an infrastructure sector veteran, was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his invaluable contribution in nurturing and shaping the next generation of tunnel engineers. Companies like TATA Projects Ltd, Larsen & Toubro, Nagpur Mumbai Super Communication Expressway Limited (NMSCEL), J. Kumar Infra projects Ltd were awarded with different categories of awards.
Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune.
A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
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