The Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg between Mumbai and Nagpur is bringing Samruddhi (prosperity) as per its name to the state of Maharashtra. Even before the highway is thrown open for traffic, the under-construction corridor has received Rs 500 crore for the state exchequer.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is the project implementing authority, has signed an agreement with GAIL for laying gas pipelines along the utility corridor, on both sides of the expressway.
Radheshyam Mopalwar, the vice-chairman and managing director of MSRDC, said the idea to have a utility corridor was to ensure that the interiors of the state – Jalna, Aurangabad and Wardha – will also have direct gas pipeline supply.
“Jalna is Maharashtra’s steel manufacturing capital. With the availability of gas, the sector will benefit hugely. Besides, domestic users will also benefit from it. Every household in this interior belt of the state will have easy gas supply via these pipelines. It will have a major impact at both the industrial and domestic levels,” he said. MSRDC officials said the lease agreement has been signed for 30 years. Of Rs 500 crore, already 80 per cent of the amount has been disbursed.
The gas pipeline laying work has been started. An official said that unlike other places where gas suppliers get space but face other issues, along the Samruddhi Mahamarg they will get continuous and obstruction-free land for laying lines. Besides, the utility corridor also has space for laying cables, optical fibre, with scope for power connection, among others. The 700-km Mahamarg is under construction at a cost of Rs 55,335.32 crore.
It has three lanes on both the sides and will reduce travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai by six hours once ready. It will cut down 100-km of road distance.
