Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that Ecology and environment are the highest priority of the Union Government.
He said that the government is considering many options to curb pollution and accordingly is working on various projects on a war footing. He was speaking at the 11th Biennial International Conference on Ports, Shipping and Logistics held in Mumbai.
The government is implementing various measures to promote public transport. Double-decker buses started in Mumbai and the bus service started in Bangalore are examples of these measures. The approval given to 260 ropeways and cable cars was also a part of this effort and road projects worth around Rs. 65 thousand crores are also underway in and around Delhi. After this work is completed, it will help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the region, he said.
Electric buses, electric cars, and electric scooters are now operational but along with that, we are starting to use vehicles with flex engines, said Gadkari. Nitin Gadkari reiterated that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. Stating that there is no problem in running buses and trucks using methanol as fuel in Mumbai, the Minister said it would save costs and reduce pollution.
On the occasion, the Union Minister expressed the belief that due to the Central Government's efforts, the pollution problem will be solved to a large extent in the next five years. The work of 36 green highway projects has been started on behalf of the central government and the government is paying more than the market value as compensation for land acquired for these projects.
Therefore, land acquisition is no longer a problem in the construction of these roads, Gadkari also said on this occasion. We are working to reduce logistics costs to 9 per cent which is currently 14-16 per cent by 2024, he said.
On this occasion, Minister informed that 5-6 logistics parks would be set up in Maharashtra on behalf of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He informed that the work of construction of dry ports at Jalna and Wardha in the state has been completed and now the work of construction of similar dry ports in Nashik and Pune is being undertaken.