Cement Energy and Environment

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE COASTAL STATES TO INVEST RS. 1.67 LAKH CR IN SMALL PORTS In a bid to boost coastal trade, eight maritime states in the country have drawn an ambitious Rs1.67 lakh crore plan to create an additional capacity of about 1,294 million tonne (MT) in the next 10 years. These states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Orissa house about 200 non-major ports possessing a capacity to handle 346.31 MT of cargo as on March 2010. "Maritime states have identified projects for development of non-major ports at an estimated cost of Rs. 167, 930.84 crore to create additional 1,293.56 MT capacity by 2020," a shipping ministry official told PTI. Most of the projects will be on public-private-partnership or build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis, the official added. He said that the private sector is likely to contribute 96 per cent of the project cost. Remaining requirement of Rs. 3,678 crore is planned to be contributed by the state governments through internal resources, gross budgetary support etc. The total volume of traffic handled by all the Indian ports during 2009 -10 was 849.9 MT and non-major ports accounted for about one-third of the total seaborne trade. The projects include deepening of channels, construction of berths and rail– connectivity. The government has already announced an investment of over Rs 1 lakh crore in 13 major ports, majority of which will come from the private sector, to e~pand their capacity by 767.15 MT in the next 10 years. The major ports capacity was recorded at 616.73 MT on March 31, 2010. India at present has 13 major ports - Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin , Kandla and Port Blair under the control of Centre. Non-major ports fall under the purview of states . Earlier, this year, the government unveiled a new Maritime Agenda to take major and non-major ports capacity to 3,200 MT from 617 MT on March 31, 2010. Courtesy: The Financial Express New Delhi, 21.4.2011. LUDHIANA PLANS CEMENT ROADS In order to stop wastage of money on repeated repairing of roads, the civic authorities in Ludhiana have decided to construct cement roads instead of those of bitumen. For this, they have zeroed in on two major roads. After the initial trial, the authorities would repair the roads using cement that tend to give way in the rainy season. The road chosen for the experiment is the one near to Gill Chowk while the other one is near Rahon Road. MS Jaggi, Joint Commissioner and Head of Bridges and Road Department, said the experiment would be conducted on two major roads where there is heavy flow of traffic and in the rainy season, water stagnation results in early breakage. He added that they would observe the results this rainy season and then, the experiment could be carried out on other busy roads as well. Courtesy: Indian Cement Review, April 2011, P9. ADB LOAN FOR MP ROADS The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan for improvement of roads in Madhya Pradesh. The loan is to upgrade over 1.000 km of highways in the eastern and western region of the state. ADB has pointed out that about 7,400 km of more than 10,000 km of state highways have already been improved and the current programme will help complete the road rehabilitation programme. Under this project, existing highways will be expanded into two lane route and new bridges, culverts and cross drainage facilities would be constructed using eco– friendly designs. Also the roads will undergo a greening process through planting of shrubs and trees to combat erosion. ADB is also extending an associated technical assistance grant of $1 million from its concessional Technical Assistance Special Fund. Courtesy: NBM&CW, Vol.16, April 2011, P34. 46