Delhi Pollution Forces Gadkari to Rethink Visits Amid Urgent Call for Green Shift
India is gearing up for a transport revolution as the Centre rolls out a sweeping green mobility blueprint aimed at transforming how people move across both urban hubs and remote terrains. The plan, announced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, includes a range of futuristic systems—electric rapid transit, ropeways, funicular railways, hyperloop technology, cable-propelled buses, and AI-enhanced highways.
From Kedarnath’s hilly slopes to metro corridors in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Pune, over 360 ropeway and funicular projects are on the agenda, with 60 already underway. Meanwhile, a pilot run of a 135-seater electric bus in Nagpur promises airline-grade amenities and rapid 30–40 minute charging. If successful, similar services will soon operate on high-demand routes like Delhi-Dehradun, Mumbai-Pune, and Bangalore-Chennai—offering cleaner, cheaper, and faster intercity travel.
The government’s ambition also includes scaling national highway construction to 100 km per day and converting 25,000 km of two-lane roads into four-lane highways. Since 2013–14, India’s highway length has surged from 91,287 km to 1,46,204 km, while high-speed corridors have jumped from just 93 km to over 2,400 km. The Centre also plans to plant 20–25 crore trees along highways under a “tree bank” scheme—where five trees are planted for every one felled.
To support this massive infrastructure push, tech is being integrated deeply. AI-based safety systems, precast road construction methods, and drone surveillance will modernize how roads are built and maintained. In parallel, 11 automakers—including Tata, Toyota, Hyundai, and Mahindra—are investing in flex-fuel vehicle production to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and cut the ₹22 trillion annual fuel import bill.
With transport responsible for nearly 40% of India’s air pollution, this strategy aims to slash emissions, lower logistics costs from 14% of GDP to 9%, and stimulate job creation. More than just a transportation facelift, the initiative is a bold step toward sustainable, tech-enabled national growth.
