New Delhi, May 14 (EPC News): C&C Constructions has announced its plans to bid for major road projects in Afghanistan. The company is currently executing a Parliament project there. 

Says J S Johar, Chairman, C&C Constructions, “We are hopeful of constructing Afghanistan Parliament building by December 2012. We will be bidding for major road projects there including a US $200 million project." 

The company has till now invested US $50 million of the Parliament project, which was awarded by the Afghan’s Central Public Works Department (CPWD). 

EPC News Bureau

New Delhi, May 11 (EPC News): On the request of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Haryana Roadways has planned to introduce feeder bus service on eight routes between Gurgaon and Faridabad thus providing hassle free travel for commuters using Metro. 

The eight routes which will now have feeder bus service include Badarpur, Tughlakabad, AIIMS, Kashmere Gate and Huda City Centre.

According to DMRC spokesperson, Haryana Roadways has started these services with the help of about 60 buses at a frequency of approx. 15 minutes. 

EPC News Bureau

Mumbai, May, 07 (EPC News): Construction work over the country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge, Bogibeel Bridge, is on a faster pace and will complete by 2015, informs the Chief Public Relation Officer of Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), S. Hajong. 

The 4.9 km Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge comprises of a double line broad gauge track and a 3 lane road-connecting two existing railway networks starting from Chaulkhowa and Moranhat stations (South) and between Sisibargaon and Siripani station of Rangiya-Mukongselek section (North).

“Work on main bridge and north bank rail link between Dhamalgaon (South Bank) and New Sisibragaon (North Bank) including National Highway approach road links is nearing completion,” informs DC Borah, Senior PRO (Construction), North East Frontier Railways.

Further of the 42 pillars, work on 10 pillars is underway. “Construction of 32 out of 42 support pillars and two separate guide bunds of 2.792km (north bank) and 2.043km (south bank) have been accomplished,” says Borah. These bunds built on the banks of Brahmaputra have narrowed the river width from 10.3km to its half. 

Construction of common approach embankment up to south abutment and north abutment inside the river, strengthening of the South Bank Dyke and North Bank Dyke (9km upstream and 7km downstream) and finalization of design and drawing of super-structure equipped with latest technology were highlighted as the project’s major achievements by Borah. 

The project sanctioned in 1997-98, was inaugurated by former Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee in April, 2002. Though the project execution was on a slower pace, the Government declaration of it as a ‘National Project’ in 2007 helped in gaining momentum, believes NFR.

The slower execution has led to cost overruns almost doubling the project’s cost from Rs1,767 crore to Rs3,230 crore. “The inflation in raw materials (steel and cement prices) are a major cause for doubling the project cost,” says Hajong.

He further points the non-availability of longer dry seasons and existence of longer monsoons as the other major hindrance for project delay. 

Of the allotted Rs3,230 crore, around Rs2,404 crore were utilized for the project. The project, a part of the Assam Accord 1985, further facilitates in establishing strong connectivity in the eastern region of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. “This project can strengthen national security of the eastern region of India,” believes Borah. 

NFR also considers this project as a boon for improving the socio-economic activities of the region. The project is considered as a major step towards the Indian Government’s plan of linking all northeastern states with other parts of the country. 

By Veena Kurup

Mumbai, May, 07 (EPC News): The present United Progressive Government still not learning from its past mistake and has again given the shot in the arm to the exchequers of the country by declaring around 190 cost overrun projects. 

Surprisingly, Maharashtra has topped the table with a total of around 51 projects costing Rs82,228 crore, a jump of 19% from its original cost of around Rs68,705 crore. Out of these 51 projects, 18 projects have been identified as a cost overrun projects with an estimated cost overrun of Rs45,606 crore from its original Rs29,305 crore. 

The second in number after Maharashtra is state of Tamil Nadu with total projects of around 35. Out of these 35 projects, the MoSP has identified 13 projects with an estimated cost overrun of Rs35,649 crore against its original project value of Rs20,281 crore, a rise of 30.3%.

Says Srikant Jena, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation, “There are 555 Central Sector projects costing Rs150 crore and above on the monitor of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation, (MOSPI) as on 1st February, 2012. Out of these, 190 projects were slipped into cost overruns with respect to their original schedule of completion.”

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha Jena said that the major reasons such as changes in rates of foreign exchange and statutory duty; high cost of environmental safeguards, land acquisition and rehabilitation measures, change in the scope of project, under -estimation of original cost, general price rise-due to normal rise in prices of input materials.

By Rahul Kamat

New Delhi, May 04 (EPC News): Government of India has failed in its attempt of 20 km per day road building during 2011-12 as it managed to construct only 10.39 km per day, according to the information given by the Minister of State of Road Transport and Highways, Jitin Prasada in Rajya Sabha yesterday. 

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has completed construction of 2248 km i.e. 6.16 km per day of national highways, during 2011-12 against the target of 2500 km. The ministry has also completed construction of 1547 km i.e. 4.23 km/day of National Highways through State PWDs & Border Roads Organization during 2011-12. 

“Highway projects have a gestation period of about three years from the date of start of the work,” says the minister. 

According to the minister, to meet the target of construction at an average rate of 20 km per day i.e. almost 7,000 km per year, it is essential that an any given point of the time, there should be almost three times of this length i.e. about 20,000 km of were awarded and under construction.

“Progress in implementation has also been affected by poor performance of some contractors, delay in obtaining forest/wild life clearances from Ministry of Environment & Forest, railway clearances, law & order problems in some states, delay in land acquisition etc.,” adds Prasad.

NHAI awarded 5,059 km in 2010-11 and 6491 km in 2011-12 while it targets to award 8800 km in 2012-13 is 8800 km. 

EPC News Bureau

New Delhi, May 03 (EPC News): To ease congestion, India’s leading real estate developer, DLF plans to build 16-lane dedicated corridor in Gurgaon that will connect DLF's Gateway Tower in Cyber City to the Golf Course Road in Delhi. 

A 8.3 km long road will be built in joint venture with the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) at an investment of Rs400-600 crore.

The project includes eight underpasses and a long flyover enabling commuters to reach the Golf Course Road from the Gurgaon toll plaza within seven minutes which otherwise takes 30 minutes. The will provide relief to around 1.5 million residents and commuters. 

The company has also initiated India's first private rapid metro rail project to connect the Delhi metro to the office district which is expected to be operational by mid-2013.

EPC News Bureau

Mumbai, May 02 (EPC News): HCC Concessions Ltd, an arm of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd has received a contract from NHAI for six laning of Vadodara-Surat section of NH8 in Gujarat on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) (Toll) basis under NHDP Phase-V. 

The Rs800 crore contract involves six-laning between Vadodara-Surat section of NH8 including construction of a new four lane extra dosed bridge across the Narmada river in Gujarat.

The development of Vodadra-Surat stretch is expected to remove significant bottleneck and facilitate free movement of traffic. The project, to be executed in period of 30 months, will have concession period of 12 years, including construction period. 

EPC News Bureau

New Delhi, Apr, 30 (EPC News): The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) plans to award highway tolling and maintenace contracts of around 3000 km for five to nine years. This gives an opportunity to the bidders who have failed in their earlier attempts.

NHAI has received approval from the Standing Finance Committee but seeks approval from Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure.

The project comprise of upgrading roads ranging from 18 km to 300 km that were constructed for NHAI by contractors.

“Operation and maintenance of roads has not received the attention it needs and deserves. The basic cause for poor management of National Highways had been the lack of funds made available for maintenance as per norms,” said Abhaya Agarwal, Executive Director and leader PPP at Ernst and Young (E&Y).

EPC News Bureau