‘We should take Urbanisation as an opportunity & not a threat’
- Narendra Modi
Today, India faces a crisis of inadequate & crumbling Infrastructure. Due to a lack of proper planning, most of our roads are congested & public transport is not efficient enough. Also the critical element of public spaces for recreation is missing in most of our cities. An imbalance in the planning & the rate at which demand is rising is playing an important role in the woes experienced in most towns & cities.
The current UPA government has failed to make any positive intervention to ease the infrastructure crunch faced by our country today & has failed to moved beyond the thought process of viewing things only from the perspective of setting up committees. Much focus has been put on outlays of the projects, while outcomes are often dismal.
In contrast, it was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government which catalyzed a revolution in terms of infrastructure. Some of his achievements are:
- NDA constructed 50% of the highways in the last 30 years in it’s 5 year rule
- Golden Quadrilateral of roads
- National Gram Sadak Yojana: A massive rural road project
- Envisioned the River Interlinking Project
- Open Skies Policy & Privatisation & Modernisation of Airports
It is at such a time that Narendra Modi’s vision for infrastructure development offers a panacea to our woes. At the BJP National Council meet in Delhi, Narendra Modi outlined his grand vision for our country which includes:
- Building 100 new cities
- Creating Satellite cities around large cities
- Network of Bullet Trains
- River Interlinking
- Water Grids
Watch Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India:
Within a city, there are often some infrastructural elements which can improve the lives of the citizens. These are Efficient Public Transport, Open Public Spaces, Good Roads, etc.
It is these features on which Narendra Modi’s Gujarat Model fares much above other. Here are some features:
Watch how Narendra Modi has transformed the Urban Landscape of Gujarat & built people oriented cities:
Janmarg - Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS):
When you travel on Ahmedabad’s roads, it is difficult to miss Janmarg, the city’s state of the art Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS). In a time when BRTS has failed in various cities, Janmarg has emerged as a case study of how a successful transport system operates to provide affordable, convenient and comfortable transport to the people of Ahmedabad. Janmarg has over 60 The buses are also accessible to people with special needs.
Literally meaning ‘way of the people’, Janmarg, since 2009, has established itself as a transport system that carries the citizens of Ahmedabad in safety & comfort that too in the quickest way possible. Janmarg gives top priority to buses, pedestrians and non-motorized transport and this is achieved by segregating it from the rest of the motorized traffic. While buses run on dedicated lanes at the Centre of the road, cyclists get their own dedicated track and pedestrians get wide footpaths.
Know more about Janmarg:
Sabarmati Riverfront:
The story of the Sabarmati Riverfront in the last few years is a remarkable story of how a River, which was earlier a dry patch of land better known for children playing cricket or holding circuses, has once again become the pride of Ahmedabad. The Riverfront project encompasses both banks of the Sabarmati for a 10.5 kms stretch, creating approximately 185 hectares of reclaimed land. The project also includes water management system to minimize flooding and clean the Sabarmati with new sewage treatment infrastructure. With the addition of a walkway and rides, the Riverfront has emerged as a favourite spot for the people of Ahmedabad to unwind after a hard day at work.
Kankaria Lake Development Project
Located in the heart of Ahmedabad, the Kankaria Lake is one of the most visited spots in the city. However, the development in the lake could not keep pace with the increasing number of people frequenting it. Under Shri Modi’s leadership the Kankaria Lakefront Project has revamped the entire area, making it into a world class spot that has drawn people from all over the world. Attractions at Kankaria include the Atal Express, the Kid’s City, Sandstone Mural to depict Gujarat’s history and the ever popular Kankaria Carnival every December.
Know about the grandeur of Kankaria Lake Development Project
Surat Municipal Corporation’s Outer Ring Road project
With increasing urbanisation and greater stress on the physical infrastructure of urban spaces, the need for expansion and innovation becomes extremely urgent. This is where Surat has shown the way vis-à-vis the Outer Ring Road project. Under the model, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) have jointly come up with the model to generate about Rs 11,960 crore from the development of proposed road over five years. This will mean that these bodies would get the entire project cost of Rs 5,796 crore. The additional revenue can be used for projects such as high-speed transit system.
This project has been showcased as model project for infrastructure development by the Centre.
Vadodara’s State of the Art Central Bus Terminus
In February 2014, Shri Modi inaugurated the airport like bus terminus in Vadodara, the first bus terminal of international standard in India. The station is built on PPP model and encapsulates the history of Vadodara depicted through Photographs and Paintings around the walls of the Bus Station. Shri Narendra Modi walked the talk with his unique style of thinking addressing bus drivers in 2012 when he said, “Why state transport bus stations should not be like airport complexes when more people use ST stations compared to airport terminals?” Vadodara Central Bus Station stands tall among all bus stations across India providing a unique example of out of the box thinking.
The terminal has a supermarket, shopping mall, multiplex, restaurant and food court, commercial offices, and a budget hotel on the premise.
Take a journey through the flamboyant bus terminus in pictures https://www.narendramodi.in/in-pictures-vadodara-gets-a-state-of-the-art-bus-terminus/
