New railway lines speed up mineral transport from C’garh | News
The two new railway projects planned in the coal and iron-rich areas of Chhattisgarh are expected to facilitate the rapid transportation of minerals from the northern and southern regions of the state to other parts of the country and also contribute to the social and economic development of these areas.
The Ministry of Railways has approved a substantial financial allocation of Rs 16.75 crore – Rs 12.25 crore for the Gadchiroli-Bacheli (via Bijapur) stretch and Rs 4.50 crore for the Korba-Ambikapur stretch – for the final survey and detailed project reports (DPRs) of the two major new railway projects.
Both projects are being implemented by the South East Central Railway (SECR), whose headquarters are in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.
The 180 km long railway line from Korba to Ambikapur is being constructed with an aim to connect important areas of the state to the rail network, while the 490 km long line from Gadchiroli to Bacheli is being constructed with an aim to provide better rail connectivity of the state with Maharashtra and the border areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.
The Korba-Ambikapur railway line will connect two major cities known for their rich coal deposits. Ambikapur is the headquarters of Sarguja, which has coal mines. Some mines are under development. By connecting the region to another coal deposit in Korba, the project will help in rapid coal transportation.
Similarly, the new railway line from Gadchiroli to Bacheli in Dantewada district will connect the remote areas of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh to the railway network. This will contribute to the social, economic and educational development of these areas and create new employment opportunities in this sector.
Bacheli has huge iron ore deposits. However, the transportation of the minerals is done via Visakhapatnam as Bacheli does not have a direct rail connection to central or northern India. The project connecting Bacheli to Gadchiroli will facilitate the transportation of the minerals to other parts of the country, especially the northern and western regions, through the shortest route.
Currently, 25 new railway line projects with a length of 2,731 km are underway in Chhattisgarh at a cost of Rs 37,018 crore.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accelerating the plan and said the projects would boost development in Bastar and Surguja regions.
First published: August 18, 2024 | 11:36 p.m. IS
