Page 19 - Built Expressions - Online Construction Magazine - November 2014 Issue

NEWS SCAN Maharashtra CM, India, Japan seek to enhance cooperation in urban Devendra Fadnavis To development sector Joint Working Group on Put – Mumbai Infra Urban Development discuss areas of cooperation Projects On Fast Track Maharashtra projects US $ 50 billion investment in Promises e-platform urban transport sector by 2031 for various clearances PPP model and promotion of re-use and recycling technologies to address water scarcity. Challenges in urban Maharashtra government is working very transport sector being: introduction of positively to fast track development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), optimal infrastructure in Mumbai and (MMR) Region mechanism for introduction of Metro rail worth close to Rs. 55,000 cr. Fadnavis, New systems, introduction of regional transit CM of the state of Maharashtra has promised systems, monorails and Light Rail Transport to bring better co-ordination among and technical assistance for preparing multiple agencies for faster clearances of comprehensive mobility plans. infrastructure projects and also assured Shri Shankar Aggarwal, Secretary(UD) single e-platform to avoid delays and cost and Shri Yoichi Nakagami, Director General, escalation due to these delays. “With several sewerage projects under Policy Bureau, Government of Japan called Rs 11,000-crore Mumbai Trans Harbor implementation and other efforts in progress, for further scaling up of cooperation Link (Sewree to Nhava) JICA has agreed 80% and if everything goes well, the quality of between the two countries in the context funding to this project, Rs 11,000-crore the water in river Yamuna should be good for of India’s focus on urban development Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd metro II, the Rs drinking by 2017” said, Shri Sinya Ejima, Chief sector and recent successful visit of Prime 23,000-crore Mumbai Metro III project which Representative of JICA in India. He said so, Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Japan. will connect Cuff Parade with Andheri via while making a detailed presentation on For the frst time, state governments Worli and the airport (Rs 13,000 crore will ‘JICA’s Operations in Urban Sector In India’ have been involved in the meetings of the be funded by JICA (the Japan International at the meeting of India-Japan Joint Working Joint Working Group after 7 years of its Cooperation Agency), Rs 5,000 crore sea Group on Urban Development here recently. inception. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya link project, Rs 440 crore and Rs 915 crore JICA is currently associated with 16 Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala have outlined water transport projects for the eastern & projects relating to sewerage and water various urban development initiatives west coast respectively are some of the key supply with a total loan commitment of in respective states highlighting projects on the anvil and would be cleared Rs.28,660 cr in the states of Delhi, Uttar opportunities for technical and fnancial soon. Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, West cooperation. Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra Government said it has Karnataka and Goa. Shri Ejima informed that planned for 450km network of metro current commitment of JICA’s assistance in systems, 241km of sub-urban railway system, urban sector including water and transport is 1,660 km. of urban highway system, 77 km of of the order of Rs.2,40,000 cr. highway corridors besides passenger water JICA said, the challenges in water sector transport systems with the attendant in India to be addressed are : Improvement infrastructure in urban areas by 2031 with in Operation & Maintenance (O&M) for an investment requirement of US $ 50.72 effcient management of assets created, billion. improvement in service delivery, improving fnancial position of urban local bodies, entrusting O&M to private sector through Source: Infrabuddy.com Source: Infrabuddy.com Vol: 3 Issue: 11 November 2014 Built Expressions PG 19