Kamal Ghorui
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, which will cut travel time between the two cities to nearly half.The 213 km-long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, according to an official statement.The Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor will play a pivotal role in strengthening regional economic growth by enhancing connectivity between major tourism and economic centres as well as opening new avenues for trade and development across the region.“The project reflects the vision of the prime minister to develop next-generation infrastructure that combines high-speed connectivity with environmental sustainability and improved quality of life for citizens,” the statement said.Implementation of the project also involves the construction of 10 interchanges, three Railway Over Bridges (ROBs), four major bridges and 12 wayside amenities to enable seamless high-speed connectivity.The corridor is equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience for commuters.Keeping in view the ecological sensitivity, rich biodiversity and wildlife in the region, the corridor has been designed with several features aimed at significantly reducing human-wildlife conflict.To ensure the free movement of wild animals, the project incorporates several dedicated wildlife protection features. These include a 12-km-long wildlife elevated corridor, which is one of the longest in Asia.The corridor also includes eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 metres each, and a 370-metre-long tunnel near Maa Daat Kali Temple.Prime Minister Modi also paid floral tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on this occasion.Earlier, in Saharanpur, Modi inspected the wildlife corridor on the elevated section of the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor.He also held a roadshow in Saharanpur, waving at people who had lined up.Modi also offered prayers at Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun.A large number of people also gathered in Dehradun, and waved at the prime minister as his motorcade passed through the streets of Dehradun.
