Monday, February 26, 2018

₹10,000cr green corridor to connect Chennai and Salem
Route To Go Via Tiruvannamalai, Will Reduce Distance By 60km

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: In a major infrastructural boost to the Chennai–Salem sector, the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government have proposed a new ₹10,000 crore Green Express Corridor to connect the two cities. The new corridor, planned via Harur and Tiruvannamalai, will reduce both the distance and travel time, as against the existing two routes — one via Ulundurpet and Athur and another via Vellore and Krishnagiri.

“The proposed route will be an Access Controlled Green Express Corridor and will connect Tiruvannamalai. This will not only reduce the distance by about 60km, from the present 360 km, but also halve travel time from six hours to only 3 hours. This will be the first such project to be undertaken in Tamil Nadu, on the lines of the Mumbai–Pune Expressway,” Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari told reporters late on Sunday evening.

The minister had earlier chaired a review meeting with chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai. The meeting was also attended by Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, besides Tamil Nadu minister for forests Dindigul C Sreenivasan and revenue minister R B Udhayakumar as well as officials of the state and central governments.

“Besides the Salem-Chennai project, the Chennai- Bengaluru Express Corridor is also being speeded up. Once land acquisition is completed, we will call for tenders to award the projects. In all, six green corridor and ring road projects have been reviewed and given priority and these will be undertaken at an estimated cost of ₹43,000 crore,” Gadkari said. These include Karur-Coimbatore, Melur-Thanjavur, Madurai-Dhanushkodi and Mahabalipuram-Puducherry.

On the water resources and river water sharing, Gadkari said the Centre is working on setting up the Cauvery Water Management Board as per the Supreme Court directive and also ensuring the interests of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are safeguarded.

“Today, I have discussed with the Union minister on the need to establish the Cauvery Water Management Board, as per the Supreme Court order, and to urge the prime minister to help establish the board within the Supreme Court stipulated time limit,” Palaniswami said.

“As for the plans for new ports, we will ensure that the fears of fishermen are allayed and these projects are implemented,” Palaniswami said.

The chief minister also submitted three letters, concerning road and river water linking projects to meet the needs of Tamil Nadu, to Gadkari.

A MEMO TO THE PM: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, along with deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, handing over a memo concerning the development and welfare schemes of the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Chennai airport on Sunday

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