Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that the Delhi-Dehradun expressway, which is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to two hours, will be completed within the next three months.
Currently, the travel time between the two cities is five to six hours.
Addressing ‘Times Network India Economic Conclave 2024’, Gadkari further said that construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is expected to be completed within two months.
The travel time between the two metropolitan cities is expected to reduce to 12 hours with the completion of the expressway from the present 24 hours.
The road transport and highways minister said Delhi-Dehradun highway project has two packages.
“A Rs 10,000 crore project has been approved for Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj, extending to Faridabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the project within the next 15-20 days,” Gadkari said.
Gadkari also said that the Modi government is working to reduce air pollution, lower the import of fossil fuel and enhance farm income.
“The transport ministry is responsible for 40 per cent of the air pollution… While a huge part of pollution is due to stubble burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, road construction and fossil fuels also add to the annual problem,” he said.
The minister also pointed out that the problem of stubble burning will be solved in two years as the government is working on 400 projects that will convert 200 lakh tonnes of rice straw every year to alternate fuels.