India’s road infrastructure will surpass America’s: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday asserted that India’s road infrastructure will be better than that of America in the coming time, underscoring that efficient highways, waterways and railways can lower logistics costs and boost the economy. He also took potshots at consultants making detailed project reports (DPR) for roads, saying they prepare this document by sitting at home. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day seminar in Bhopal on ‘Latest emerging trends and technologies in road and bridge construction’. There should be a sense of ownership, Gadkari said, urging state governments to engage students from engineering colleges to rectify the mistakes in DPRs. “Then, several mistakes can be rectified,” he said. According to the Union minister, India has the second largest road network with 63 lakh kilometres of thoroughfares.The Union minister advocated the use of segregated waste in road construction, suggesting that plastic should be mixed with bitumen. “We have used 80 lakh tonnes of garbage on roads so far,” said Gadkari, citing examples from Chandigarh, Delhi and Ahmedabad.

टेक्नोलॉजी में इनोवेशन नई संभावनाओं का द्वार खोलती है...

- माननीय केन्द्रीय सड़क परिवहन एवं राजमार्ग मंत्री, श्री नितिन गडकरी जी @nitin_gadkari pic.twitter.com/xPABzJtuPo

— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) October 19, 2024

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, in his address, gave the example of Bhopal's Upper Lake, which was built by the then king Bhoj about one thousand years ago.He urged experts ,they should learn how such an old technique is working today that this lake never overflow. 

हमारा बड़ा तालाब राजा भोज के काल की नवीन तकनीक का एक बेहतर उदाहरण है। pic.twitter.com/Z3EVblSZaw

— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) October 19, 2024

The  two-day seminar will discuss new technologies in road and bridge construction.