Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR undertaking dealing with delays attributable to land acquisition points: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

 Updating on the present standing of the formidable Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Corridor undertaking, popularly referred to as the Bullet Train undertaking, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday stated in Rajya Sabha that the undertaking has been dealing with delays attributable to challenges in land acquisition.

Minister Vaishnaw stated, “While the project has made progress in various aspects, land acquisition remains a critical bottleneck.” As per the Joint Feasibility Study report of 2015, the undertaking was estimated to value Rs. 1,08,000 Crore, with an anticipated completion interval of 8 years. However, the timeline for completion has been contingent upon the supply of land and the location, resulting in vital delays within the undertaking’s progress.

Out of the whole land requirement of roughly 1389.9 hectares, round 1381.5 hectares have been acquired thus far. However, the delay in land acquisition, significantly within the State of Maharashtra, has considerably impacted the undertaking’s tempo. By 2021, solely about 196.19 hectares of land had been acquired out of the required 430.45 hectares. Subsequently, the land acquisition course of step by step progressed, and as of June 2023, it has reached 429.53 hectares.

Despite the challenges in land acquisition, sure milestones have been achieved within the development part. All the civil contracts for the MAHSR undertaking have been awarded, and the undertaking has been divided into 28 contract packages, with 23 packages already awarded. The completion of 248.64 kilometres of basis and 206.96 kilometres of the pier is a big accomplishment. Furthermore, 95.4 kilometres of Girder Casting and 69.8 kilometres of Girder Launching (Superstructure) have been accomplished.

The shifting of utilities has additionally been progressing, with 1612 out of 1651 utilities already relocated. Additionally, a considerable monetary expenditure of Rs. 45,621.17 Crore has been incurred so far.

Vaishnaw emphasised that the ultimate timeline and undertaking value can solely be ascertained as soon as the land acquisition course of is accomplished, and all contracts are finalized. The delays in land acquisition have been a significant obstacle and resolving these points stays a precedence for the authorities concerned within the undertaking.

It is pertinent to notice that Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor holds nice promise for revolutionizing rail journey within the nation, decreasing journey time between the 2 main cities to a fraction of what it at present takes. However, to understand this imaginative and prescient, it’s crucial to handle the challenges in land acquisition and make sure the clean execution of the undertaking.

The authorities’s dedication to finishing the Bullet Train undertaking efficiently stays unwavering, and efforts to expedite land acquisition are anticipated to be intensified within the coming months, he added. 

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