Road to development: 82% eligible habitations connected with all-weather roads under PMGSY

Delhi, December 16: Government of India is trying to eradicate the problem of poor transportation, the main obstruction to the development of rural India. Under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, total 82% habitations have been connected. To reach the aim completely, officials have been directed to speed up the execution of rural roads to achieve full rural connectivity by March 2019 during a review of the progress of the mission.

1,78,184 eligible habitations with 500 populations in plain areas and 250 in hilly areas had to be connected by all-weather roads. As of March 2014, 97838 such habitations (55%) were connected. Today 1,30,974 habitations have been connected under PMGSY and another nearly 14,620 habitations have been connected through State Government Programmes, bringing the total habitations connected to 82%.

This has been possible by speeding up the pace of road construction and habitation connectivity over the last 3 years, reaching 130 km per day construction (highest in the last 7 years) in 2016-17. Work is in progress in all but 1700 remaining habitations. The remaining 1700 habitations will also be approved by end December 2017.

The major challenge lies in Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttrakhand on account of the difficult terrain. In Chhattisgarh, Malkangiri district of Odisha and LWE areas of Jharkhand, the challenge is on account of Left Wing Extremism. Bihar and West Bengal also have large connectivity to achieve and therefore require speedy implementation.

As we are under constant threat of global warming, PMGSY is also focusing on green technologies to reduce “Carbon Footprint” effectively. pastingStates are opting for a minimum 15% roads with green technologies like use of waste plastic, fly ash, copper and iron slag, geo textile, cold mix, paneled cement concrete, cell filled concrete. Nano Technology products are also being used for stabilization of roads, so far 3,426 kms. 

States are opting for a minimum 15% roads with green technologies like the use of waste plastic, fly ash, copper and iron slag, geotextile, cold mix, paneled cement concrete, a cell filled concrete. Nano Technology products are also being used for stabilization of roads, so far 3,426 km.