Centre okays widening of ECR stretch from Marakkanam to Puducherry at Rs 2,157 crore
PUDUCHERRY
: The Union govt has approved widening of the East Coast Road (ECR) to a four-lane stretch for 46 km from Marakkanam in Villupuram district of
Tamil Nadu
to Union territory Puducherry at a cost of Rs 2,157 crore.
A release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) stated that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the project, which would be developed on a hybrid annuity model (HAM).
The release mentioned that currently, the connectivity between Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam relies on the existing two-lane National Highway 332A (NH-332A) and associated state highways (SH).
(Some stretches of the ECR are already four-lane). These NH and SH experience significant congestion due to high traffic volumes, especially in densely populated stretches and key towns along the corridor.
You Can Also Check:
Chennai AQI
|
Weather in Chennai
|
Bank Holidays in Chennai
|
Public Holidays in Chennai
To address these challenges, the project would upgrade approximately 46 km of NH-332A from Marakkanam to Puducherry to a four-lane configuration. This will decongest the existing corridor, improve safety and cater to the mobility needs of rapidly growing towns such as Puducherry, Viluppuram and Nagapattinam, it said.
The project alignment integrates with two major national highways (NH-32, NH-332) and two state highways (SH-136, SH-203), providing seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Tamil Nadu. Additionally, the upgraded corridor will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with two railway stations (Puducherry and Chinnababusamudram), two airports (Chennai and Puducherry), and one minor port (Cuddalore), thereby facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers across the region.
The release said upon completion, the Marakkanam-Puducherry section would play a pivotal role in regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major religious and economic centres, boosting tourism to Puducherry, and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development. The project would also generate approximately eight lakh person-days of direct and 10 lakh person-days of indirect employment, opening new avenues of growth, development, and prosperity in surrounding regions, it said.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
GDA to fast-track new township in I'puram amid property price surge
Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is set to accelerate work on its long-delayed Indirapuram Extension township project, citing a sharp surge in property prices and renewed demand for housing in the area. Planned across 230 acres off the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, the scheme was first announced nearly 20 years ago but stalled following farmers' protests over land acquisition. Now, with the market heating up, GDA vice-chairperson has directed the engineering department to prepare a detailed layout plan. According to GDA officials, average circle rates in Indirapuram stand at Rs 8,825.7 per square feet, while market values have jumped 73% between 2021 and 2025. In 2021, homes were selling at Rs 4,400 to Rs 5,400 per sqft. But in 2025, prices had climbed to Rs 8,100 to Rs 9,000 per sqft. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida Of the planned 230 acres, GDA currently holds 96 acres, while 29 acres have already been sold. Acquisition hurdles remain for 103 acres. In June, the Authority freed 24 acres in Kanawni, worth around Rs 800 crore, after clearing a decade-old encroachment. GDA plans to integrate this land parcel into the scheme. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2024 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo "Indirapuram recorded a 19% price hike in FY 2025, which is double the city's average of 9%," said a CREDAI-NCR representative. "Recent changes in UP Building Bylaws, 2025, now allow higher vertical development, with enhanced Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limits, making high-rise group housing more viable." Previously, the FAR had been capped at 2.5 in developing areas and 1.5 in developed zones, alongside strict ground coverage and density limits. The revised rules permit an additional 5% FAR for commercial facilities — either on the ground floor of residential towers or in separate buildings — and another 5% for community amenities. Developers say that improved infrastructure has fuelled interest. "With rapid rail services and NH-9, connectivity for Indirapuram, Siddharth Vihar, and Crossings Republik has transformed," said Shailendra Sharma, chairman of Renox Group, a developer. "The upcoming flyover and metro expansion will further boost demand across the city's micro-markets." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Three Hyderabad residents lose over Rs 1.6 cr in stock investment frauds
1 2 Hyderabad: Cybercrime police have registered three separate cases of large-scale investment fraud, all following an identical playbook of WhatsApp stock-trading groups, fake IPO promises, and last-minute demands for fresh fees. Collectively, the fraudsters siphoned off nearly Rs 1.68 crore from three city residents, two of them govt employees and one a chartered accountant. According to the first complaint, a 39-year-old defence electronics research laboratory (DLRL) employee from Kanchanbagh was lured into a WhatsApp group titled ASBPL Start-Up Excellence Circle in mid-June. Convinced by the administrators, Abhishek and Abhijeet, that he was buying pre-listing block deals, the victim transferred over Rs 54.6 lakh in 28 instalments to accounts spread across seven banks. When he sought to withdraw the profits shown in an app dashboard, the fraudsters demanded an additional Rs 10 lakh to activate the high-value withdrawal channel, triggering suspicion. On his complaint, a case was registered at the Hyderabad cybercrime police station on Thursday. On the same day, a 63-year-old chartered accountant from Old Malakpet reported losing Rs 43 lakh after joining a WhatsApp group operated by fraudsters posing as representatives of a private bank's equity trading entity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo The victim watched his investment on a virtual platform balloon to Rs 3.74 crore before realising that the platform had no link to the private bank. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The third victim was a 58-year-old govt employee from DD Colony. He was duped of Rs 69.9 lakh by the same set of fraudsters who duped the chartered accountant. He was also part of the same WhatsApp group and was in contact with the same set of suspects. According to the complainant, the fraudsters extended a no-interest loan to cover oversubscribed IPO shares and later threatened to freeze his funds unless he paid a 10% management fee. All three cases have been booked under Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with cheating, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy. Preliminary investigation shows the money was dispersed through dozens of mule accounts in different banks. Police are now trying to identify the accused by analysing the bank account details. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Delhi govt to regularise illegal borewells
New Delhi: Delhi govt will soon introduce a policy to regularise the borewells dug illegally in the capital, water minister Parvesh Verma said on Friday. Speaking in the Delhi assembly, Verma added that an enforcement team was being formed in Delhi Jal Board to monitor the use of groundwater by commercial establishments such as hotels and impose penalties if they are found to be extracting water illegally. DJB identified 20,552 illegal borewells last year. The district magistrates informed National Green Tribunal that nearly 16,000 were already sealed by their teams, while over 4,000 could not be found. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Verma said that borewells were being sealed in compliance with NGT guidelines, but govt would soon bring a "clear and practical policy" for their regularisation. "The current situation in Delhi is a result of 11 years of negligence. Abruptly shutting all borewells is not practical. Action is ongoing against those selling water from borewells. An enforcement team is being formed to monitor commercial establishments like hotels and impose penalties where necessary," the minister said. Verma also raised concerns about water loss and claimed that it increased from 30 to 40% in the last 11 years. "This might be the first govt in the country that actually increased water wastage," Verma said, accusing the AAP dispensation of doing little to improve water availability in Delhi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo "If we bring this down to 10%, Delhi will no longer face any water shortage," he claimed. Verma also claimed that the Asian Development Bank refused to fund water projects under the previous dispensation due to a 6% commission demanded by it. "Within just a week of our govt taking charge, ADB reinitiated talks and expressed willingness to cooperate," the minister said. Responding to queries on the water crisis in Sangam Vihar, Verma said a Rs 7 crore pipeline project was executed in the area, but due to leakage, the line never became operational. "Now, officials are seeking an additional Rs 4 crore to repair it — an example of sheer negligence of the previous administration," Verma said, adding that AAP govt failed to integrate unauthorised colonies into the master plan and allowed illegal settlements to expand. Giving details of the work done by BJP govt in the water sector in the last few months, Verma said 15 kilometres of new pipelines were laid and 58 kilometres of old ones were replaced. Many areas where pipelines stopped functioning have now been reconnected, he added. TOI did not get a response from AAP to the allegations. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
