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Gadkari flags off two cargo vessels from Varanasi

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Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has flagged off two vessels viz., MV Joy Basudev (capacity 1,400 tons) and MV VV Giri (capacity 300 tons), containing newly assembled cars of Maruti Suzuki and construction material on 12 August, 2016 from the Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram Ghat Varanasi .
On the occasion, Gadkari said that it was his wish that the inland waterways transport system is inaugurated from Varanasi, the constituency of the Prime Minister. The Minister said this transport system will promote jobs to lakhs of people in Uttar Pradesh and will enable 11 power stations in the state to get timely supply of coal. He said this will reduce road traffic congestion and also cost less.

This route between Varanasi and Haldia will also join Allahabad and Kanpur in the future, he added. Gadkari said that inland waterways will be used for transporting passengers and the government was extending this facility to 111 waterways. He also said that three multimodal terminals will be created between Varanasi and Haldia, and the riverbanks will be protected. Gadkari said that Digital Global Positioning System will be installed and dredging will be done to ensure that the river is navigable throughout the year.

National Waterway-1 (NW-1) is being developed under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with assistance from the World Bank, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,200 crore. The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1,500-2,000 DWT tonnage from Varanasi to Haldia.

NW-1 is a waterway of national significance passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, potentially serving the major cities of Haldia, Howrah, Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Patna, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Allahabad and their industrial hinterlands including several industries located along the Ganga basin. The rail and road corridors of this region are already saturated. Hence, the development of NW-1 would result in a viable economical, efficient and eco-friendly mode of transport and huge quantities of cargo can be transported, thereby helping in economic development of this region.

Later, the Minister laid the foundation stone for the multimodal terminal at Ramnagar, Varanasi. Apart from this three road projects (Varanasi-Jamur NH 56; Varanasi-Azamgarh NH 233 and Varanasi- Gazipur NH 29) were also inaugurated. Other road projects linking Varanasi were also approved.

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Concrete

BMC Cement Concretisation Cuts Pothole Repairs By 70 Per Cent

Project worth Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn) aims to concretise 1,900 km by 2027

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s cement concretisation project, valued at Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn), has reduced expenditure on pothole repairs by 70 per cent over three years. Spending on repairs fell from Rs 2.02 billion in 2023–24 to Rs 1.56 billion in 2024–25 and then to Rs 890 million (Rs 890 mn) in 2025–26. The current tender is expected to be about Rs 440 million, representing a further 50 per cent reduction.

The project is being executed in two phases, with Phase I covering 307 km from October 2023 and Phase II covering 370 km from October 2024. The Indian Institute of Technology is auditing Phase II and will now also audit Phase I to ensure quality and accountability. Mumbai’s total road network spans approximately 2,050 km, of which about 1,200 km had been converted to cement concrete before 2022.

Since 2022 an additional 677 km were taken up for concretisation and nearly 71 per cent of that work, amounting to 481 km, has been completed. Municipal officials indicated that 10–15 per cent of the remaining work is expected to be completed by May 2026 and another 10 per cent by December 2026. The entire programme is scheduled for completion by May 2027, by which time nearly 1,900 km of Mumbai’s roads are expected to be fully concretised.

The administration has also developed a real time dashboard that displays detailed information about contracts, contractors and progress and citizens can access the latest updates online. The dashboard includes contact details for the civic officials and contractors responsible for particular roads to enhance transparency and accountability. The commissioner directed that ongoing works be completed by 31 May ahead of the monsoon to safeguard completion targets and minimise disruption.

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Shree Cement Approves Rs 1,800 Crore Meghalaya Plant

Integrated unit to be completed by quarter ending March 2028

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Shree Cement has approved the establishment of an integrated cement plant in Meghalaya, signalling a targeted capacity expansion to serve regional demand. The board cleared a unit at Village Daistong in East Jaintia Hills District with a clinker capacity of zero point nine five million tonnes per annum (mn t) and a cement capacity of zero point nine nine million tonnes per annum (mn t). The project was approved on April four, 2026 and is designed as a new addition to the company’s production network where it currently has no existing plant.

The company has earmarked an estimated investment of Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion (bn)) for the project, which will be financed through a mix of internal accruals and debt. Management has indicated a balanced financing strategy to preserve cash flows while supporting long-term growth and operational investment. The financing approach is intended to avoid over reliance on external borrowing and to maintain financial discipline during the build out.

The plant is expected to improve logistics efficiency and compress distribution distances to emerging demand centres in the north-east, potentially lowering transportation costs and lead times. By locating production closer to demand the company aims to strengthen market access and respond more effectively to regional construction activity. The project forms part of a broader strategy to diversify the production base across geographies and reduce concentration risk.

Execution is planned over a multi-year window with completion targeted by the quarter ending March 2028 and the company will proceed with construction and requisite regulatory clearances. The integrated design is intended to enhance operational control and production efficiency once operational. The decision follows a regulatory filing dated April four, 2026 and the disclosed details have not been independently verified.

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WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

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