India and World Bank Team Up for Green National Highway Project
The Government of India and the World Bank have signed an agreement to build the Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP). This project will cover 781 kilometers across Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
The project will be supported by a loan of USD 500 million from the World Bank, contributing to the total project cost of USD 1288.24 million (Rs. 7,662.47 crore). The final package of the GNHCP is scheduled for completion by May 2026.
Union Minister of Road and Transport, Nitin Gadkari, announced the agreement on social media. The GNHCP aims to showcase safe and environmentally friendly highway construction, focusing on climate resilience and green technologies.
The project will use materials like cement-treated sub-base and reclaimed asphalt pavement, and encourage the use of local materials such as lime, fly ash, and waste plastic. Bio-engineering measures for slope protection will also be implemented, including techniques like coco fiber or jute erosion control blankets, hydroseeding, and bamboo plantations.
The primary goal of the GNHCP is to provide smooth, all-weather roads that enhance regional connectivity and socio-economic development. The project is expected to create new employment opportunities and integrate isolated regions into the broader economic framework of the nation.
Doubts Revealed
World Bank -: The World Bank is an international organization that provides financial and technical help to developing countries for development projects like building roads, schools, and hospitals.
Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP) -: The GNHCP is a project to build highways in India that are environmentally friendly, using green technologies and local materials to reduce pollution and help the environment.
USD 1288.24 million -: This is the total cost of the project, which is about 10,000 crore rupees. It is a lot of money used to build the highways.
Loan assistance -: Loan assistance means borrowing money that needs to be paid back later. In this case, the World Bank is lending USD 500 million to India for the project.
Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh -: These are states in India where the new green highways will be built. Each state will have part of the 781 kilometers of new roads.
Environmentally friendly highways -: These are roads built in a way that helps protect the environment, like using materials that don’t harm nature and reducing pollution.
Green technologies -: Green technologies are tools and methods that help protect the environment, like using solar power or recycling materials.
Socio-economic development -: This means improving the well-being of people by creating jobs, better transportation, and other benefits that help society and the economy grow.
Regional connectivity -: This means making it easier for people and goods to move between different areas, which helps businesses and communities connect and grow.