Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday (November 8) drew attention to the increasing number of road accidents and deaths due to them and stressed on giving top priority to safety in road construction in the country. Gadkari said that if in future someone dies due to road engineering mistake, he himself will be blamed for it. Highlighting the Centre’s efforts to prevent road accidents at an event in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, he urged government engineers to leave their jobs and start a good DPR (detailed project report) making company and give them priority. Gave assurance of providing work.
Addressing the 83rd annual session of the Indian Roads Congress at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium, Gadkari pitched for the production of bitumen and CNG from stubble in agriculture-dominated Chhattisgarh, arguing that the move would reduce dependence on fossil fuels and curb pollution. . He announced several road projects for Chhattisgarh and said he was confident that the state would have a US-like road network in the next two years. The minister said, “Every year there are 1.50 lakh deaths due to road accidents, which has now increased to 1.68 lakh. Efforts are on to improve the deficiencies in road engineering and automobile engineering, but faulty DPRs have created a big problem.” “
He said, “We are making serious efforts to prevent road accidents. Nearly 60 percent of the victims of road accidents are in the age group of 18 to 34 years. I would like to urge you to build such roads where no accidents occur (due to faulty engineering Due to actions).” The minister stressed that improvements in road engineering will curb accidents and save lives.
He told the event attendees, “We have made rules in automobile engineering. If in the future someone dies because of road engineering, I will blame myself for it.” Addressing the gathering of officers and engineers, the Minister said that no tender should be issued without carefully examining the DPRs for the projects. He said that road safety should be given top priority to prevent deaths due to accidents. Gadkari stressed the importance of waste-to-energy technology and urged Chhattisgarh to work on making CNG and bitumen using paddy straw.
Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and Indian Petroleum Institute, Dehradun have developed bio-bitumen from paddy straw and it is being used in Meghalaya. he told the gathering It (paddy straw) can be used up to 35 percent in bitumen. The country’s bitumen requirement is 90 lakh metric tonnes and the refinery capacity is 40-50 lakh metric tonnes.
Gadkari said that We are importing 50 lakh metric tonnes. He said that if Chhattisgarh starts making bitumen from stubble, it will be a step towards creating wealth from waste. Similarly, 400 projects for making bio-CNG and bio-LNG from paddy straw have been started in Punjab and Haryana. The Union Minister said that if Chhattisgarh also does the same, there will be no need of petrol and diesel in the state. Gadkari stressed the need to develop strong infrastructure to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of “self-reliant India”.
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83rd Annual Session of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) pic.twitter.com/3dGRFwvX5L
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) November 8, 2024
Our government’s vision is set on pioneering world-class infrastructure fueled by cutting-edge mobility solutions. By fostering innovation, we are not just building structures but empowering the future of the infra-skill sector. pic.twitter.com/qBo9X6bRwh
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) November 8, 2024
