The Samruddhi Expressway, championed by Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, represents a transformative vision for the state's economic landscape. This ambitious infrastructure project aims to create a robust growth corridor that connects major urban centres, boosts regional development, and fosters job creation. The expressway is designed to enhance connectivity, reduce travel time, and facilitate the efficient movement of goods and services, thereby stimulating local economies.
#SamruddhiExpressway #DevendraFadnavis #Maharashtra #EconomicRenaissance #InfrastructureDevelopment #GrowthCorridor #Investment #SustainableDevelopment #SmartTransportation #RoadToProgress #MaharashtraDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #Connectivity #JobCreation #FutureReady
~HT.97~PR.152~GR.125~
#SamruddhiExpressway #DevendraFadnavis #Maharashtra #EconomicRenaissance #InfrastructureDevelopment #GrowthCorridor #Investment #SustainableDevelopment #SmartTransportation #RoadToProgress #MaharashtraDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #Connectivity #JobCreation #FutureReady
~HT.97~PR.152~GR.125~
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NewsTranscript
00:00Infrastructure development is a key driver of any state's growth and prosperity.
00:06And Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Padnavis, has achieved what few have,
00:12bringing the state's longest expressway, the Hindu Hruday Samrat Barasaheb Thackeray
00:18Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, to near completion.
00:21Now, to discuss this further, we are being joined by Dr. Yogini Deshpande, Technical
00:26Director, Renuka Consultants from Mumbai.
00:28Thank you so much, ma'am, for joining us.
00:31Welcome to the show.
00:32Thank you for having me.
00:34Okay.
00:35So, ma'am, with the Samruddhi Expressway being previously isolated, you know, bringing the
00:41previously isolated regions closer to Maharashtra's economic hubs, what are the key economic benefits
00:47you foresee for Vidarbh and the other underserved regions?
00:52And how might this fulfil the state government's idea of reducing regional disparities within
00:56the state?
00:57So, basically, you know, when you look at the map of Maharashtra, and the key drivers,
01:04the cities which drive the economy in Maharashtra, you see Mumbai, Pune, and somewhat to a certain
01:10extent Aurangabad.
01:13And down south, you have some amount of financial, this coming from Kolhapur region.
01:20So basically, between Mumbai and Nagpur, there's nothing, there's no, there is no other intermediate
01:26city that has shown any development or has been able to grow the way these cities have
01:33grown.
01:34And so, the Samruddhi Mahamarga definitely is going to be a major game changer when it
01:41comes to development in Maharashtra along the Mumbai-Nagpur region.
01:47The many regions along this from Nasik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Vashim, these were, Vardha, these were,
01:56these are potential regions for growth in different ways.
02:01Each region brings a different, this to the point, to the state.
02:07And so, it is, it was very necessary to have connectivity along this, along this line completely.
02:17Absolutely.
02:18Now, infrastructure projects of this scale often face significant delays.
02:25Could you also walk us through the specific strategies and measures, such as probably
02:30the war room approach of Devendra Padnavis, that were instrumental in keeping the Samruddhi
02:34Expressway on track, despite the potential bureaucratic and logistical challenges?
02:39Yes.
02:40So, I think the Samruddhi Mahamarga is a major successful, the success of the Samruddhi Mahamarga
02:50is a major development and this in the feather of Devendra Padnavis's cap, because it was
02:56a huge project.
02:59Just the audacity to think of connecting Mumbai and Nagpur was huge.
03:04The major highway that was built in Maharashtra, the first major highway that was built in
03:09India in itself was Mumbai-Pune Highway, which was built in 2002.
03:14And after that, we hadn't seen anything big that was built in Maharashtra for a very long
03:19time.
03:20So, to dream of it, to think of it and then put it the planning together and also then
03:25eventually build it, is a major achievement in itself.
03:30And how we went about doing this...
03:32Thinking is thinking, but then actually putting it...
03:36Yes, this project cost the state 55,000 crores, so it was not a small change.
03:45It was a major project.
03:46How do you get the funds?
03:48That's the first thing.
03:50First is the planning.
03:51Second is the funds.
03:52How do you get the funds?
03:53So, once the planning, the highway was planned, how it will run and what is its alignment
04:01would be.
04:02The funds for the project were achieved by the state government through its own different
04:13entities, which includes the MMRDA, the MSRDC, which executed the project, and other key
04:21government agencies, which were leveraged to get loans for Samriddhi Mahamarga.
04:26So, this was a major, very good move to ensure that there is funding available for the Mahamarga.
04:34The next hurdle that would have been for the Mahamarga would have been the acquisition
04:39of land.
04:40Again, the land acquisition, a war room was set up in 2015 by the CM's office, and they
04:49ensured that the land acquisition was progressed without many major hurdles, because earlier
04:55major projects would get thrown in the dustbin precisely because of this issue, that land
05:01acquisition would become a major issue.
05:03And so, while they ensured that they were talking to every land owner, the way this
05:10was done, it was ensured that a smooth transition from the owner to the user department will
05:16happen.
05:17This was also a major thing, a very good thing that is very much required for an infrastructure
05:23project.
05:24And then, of course, eventually then, subsequently, breaking down the highway into different subdivisions,
05:33giving it each one to different contractors and getting it built was a major achievement.
05:40Right.
05:41And then, any light you would want to throw on the logistical challenges that were faced
05:46during the building of this Mahamarga?
05:50The logistical challenges basically would have been, I don't know, have been in terms
05:54of how these different, so you have major bridges that were required to be built.
06:00One of the longest tunnels of Maharashtra, 7.7 kilometers between Aigatpuri and Nasik
06:05is along this way.
06:07So these are, you could call them as hurdles, but as a civil engineer, I call them as achievements
06:15rather than challenges and hurdles.
06:18And so, these, they were overcome by proper planning and construction.
06:22Okay, ma'am.
06:23Now, Farnabas's vision includes establishing townships along the expressway to create an
06:28economic corridor.
06:29Now, how do these planned townships contribute to fostering local economies and what infrastructure
06:36is prioritized to ensure that, you know, all these areas become sustainable socio-economic
06:41hubs?
06:42Yeah.
06:43So, ensuring that growth is happening in the rural sector also has been a major, key development
06:51of the Farnabas government and in that ensuring that every, all aspects of life, you know,
06:59which includes medical, education, access to good water, sanitation, all these aspects
07:07are available as much with greater ease to the rural population as for the urban population
07:15has been an important aspect.
07:16So, when you develop these centers at every few hundred kilometers, what is being ensured
07:23is that local communities are able to come together.
07:27Every few hundred kilometers in Maharashtra, things change or, you know, it is, each region
07:32is different and important from a different perspective.
07:36Along the Vadha-Nagpur region, you know, you come across...
07:39It's not just the food and the language, it's more, it's way more than that.
07:43Yes, it is way more than that.
07:45So, you know, you look at the region between Vadha and Nagpur, you have multiple, you know,
07:52sanctuaries, forest sanctuaries that are there.
07:54So, you are providing connectivity to the city people to reach to those regions through
07:59the Samruddhi Mahamarka.
08:01What it ensures is that there is some employment that is generated locally, as well as access
08:08for people who are sitting in, who are living in cities to a rural environment to, you know,
08:15to cleaner air is more easily available for them is created.
08:20So, you're creating a sustainable system of tourism, as well as a sustainable system for
08:26the cities to go back, you know, for the people from the cities to go back to their regions.
08:32Similarly, access in terms of, you know, where you have cities like Jalgao or cities like Nasik,
08:40they are going to be creating storage for the grains.
08:45So, how do you bring when the farmers are, you know, the crop needs to be stored,
08:52it needs to be transported.
08:54So, these different hubs, each hub will have one section to those requirements also.
09:01Okay, ma'am, another unique financing approach that we have for the expressways,
09:06including the toll securitization has been a very standout element, if we could call it that.
09:12Now, could Fundavis's funding model serve as a blueprint for other states as well?
09:18And how might it influence future infrastructure projects nationwide?
09:22I think it's a very important step to be, you know, to be able to fund a project through toll
09:30securitization.
09:31And yes, definitely, once we are able to ensure and show that this is a successful model,
09:38then I think other states will be able to adopt.
09:41Now, what also the plus point for government of Maharashtra was that our other smaller,
09:48the other agencies, you know, which play a big role in development,
09:52which is like the MMRDA or the MSRDC and the others,
09:56they are or they themselves are also a proper profitable agencies,
10:02who are doing the development.
10:05So, each state would get a benefit in terms of the knowledge that, you know,
10:12they would get from how Maharashtra is doing it, is developing their own such smaller centers,
10:18and then ensuring that this securitization then can be converted
10:21to a larger project that they would want to do.
10:24Absolutely. Thank you so much, Pam.
10:26I think we've gotten to know a lot from this conversation with you today.
10:31Thank you so much for joining us.
10:32And we'll keep on coming back to you for more on this.