Bharatmala Pariyojana: Development Phases, Current Status & Route Map

The development of the nation is mainly dependent on the transportation networks along with the maintenance of these networks. The same goes for the development of a huge and populated country like India. It is important to construct new and developed roadways for the smooth functioning, flow, and maintenance of the traffic and connecting the various areas of the country. With this motive, the government of India launched the Bharatmala Project. This project is aimed to connect areas with a smooth flow of traffic in India.  

The implementation of the Bharatmala Project will make the roadway system in India smooth. Under this project, a host of new roadway systems will be laid down in India. 

Bharatmala Pariyojana: Overview

Bharatmala Project or Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the highways sector of the nation that is mainly focused to optimize the efficiency of freight along with smooth passenger movement across the nation, by spanning the critical infrastructure gaps. It will be done through the interventions of Economic corridors, Feeder Routes, and Inter corridors development along with the efficient movement in the National corridors, International and Border Connectivity roadways, Port and Coastal Connectivity roadways, and the green-field expressways.  

The announcement of this mammoth Bharatmala Project was made by Shri Nitin Gadkari, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The idea for a scheme that would fill the gaps and implement smoother road networks was the idea of the Prime Minister. All the key aspects of Bharatmala Pariyojana will be handled by the Road Transport and the Highway Ministry of the nation.  

Bharatmala Project Map Category

Following are the Bharatmala Project map category:

• Economic Corridor: The construction of 9000 kilometers of the economic corridor will be undertaken and handled by the Central government according to the guidelines of the road construction project.
• Inter Corridor or Feeder Route: The total length of inter corridor or feeder route is a whopping 6000 kilometers.
• Improved Efficiency Of National Corridors: The road constructed under this scheme falls under the National Corridor category of 5000 kilometers for the better connectivity of roads.
• Border Road and International Connectivity: The roads which connect the cities and the remote areas of the nation and are situated in the border regions fall under the border road and international connectivity. The Bharatmala project has kept the provision to construct and develop 2000 kilometers of roads that fall in this category.
• Coastal Road and Port Connectivity: The areas that are dotted along the shorelines and the important ports of India have been ordered by the Central government for improved connectivity of 2000 kilometers of roads.
• Greenfield Expressway: The main focus, attention, and stress will be given to the development of Greenfield Expressway. This will be done for better and smooth management of traffic and freight.
• Balanced NHDP Works: Under the last segment of Bharatmala, the project will focus on the construction as well as maintenance of about 10,000 kilometers of new roads in the nation.

For Phase 2, the planning has already been started. The NHAI has identified that 5,000 kilometers will be covered under phase 2 of the Bharatmala. 

Bharatmala Pariyojana: Main Objectives

With the Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme, the government plans to transform India’s road networks. The main objectives of this project are:

1. Fifty National Corridors

The completion of the Bharatmala Pariyojana project will give 50 national corridors to India. It will improve the freight traffic movement from 40% to 70-80%. It will also optimise the National Corridor’s efficiency by removing the congestion points via lane expansion and building ring roads, bypasses, elevated corridors and logistic parks.

2. Connect 550 Districts

The project aims to connect 500 districts across the nation by liking the national highways. Presently, only 300 districts have interlinked national highways. The completion of the Bharatmala project will thus increase the number and allow people to travel from one district to another easily.

3. Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Improvement

LPI or Logistics Performance Index is one of the most reliable benchmarking tools developed by the World Bank to help countries determine the opportunities and challenges during their trade logistics performance. With Bharatmala, the government plans to improve the LPI.

4. Employment Generation

The high scale of the Bharatmala project is sure to create ample direct as well as indirect employment opportunities. And since the project involves the construction of multiple highways and lanes, it will also enhance the economic activities in different parts of the nation.

5. Border Roads and International Connectivity

One of the most significant objectives of the Bharatmala scheme is to construct 3300 km of border roads and an international connectivity road of 2000km. They aim to promote trade with multiple countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan. Out of this, 2000km comes under the first phase of the Bharatmala project at an estimated cost of ₹25,000.

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project Current Status 2022

As per the initial plan of the NHAI, the first phase of the Bharatmala project was to be completed towards the end of 2022. But due to the pandemic and other issues associated with cost overruns and land acquisition, the completion has been delayed till 2026. The delay has also brought in a Bharatmala project cost escalation of 54%.

A report by ICRA suggests that if all the work contracts are awarded by the end of the financial year 2023, the Bharatmala project will complete by 2026. Previously the estimated cost was ₹5.35 lakh crores but has now escalated to ₹8.5 lakh crores.

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project Route Connectivity

The Bharatmala project map is simple and begins from the western states of India. The Bharatmala project map starts from the state Gujarat and Rajasthan, which further goes up to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu, and Kashmir, and a few parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar before it hits Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatmala focuses especially on providing smoother connectivity to the northern-eastern states of India.

Bharatmala Pariyojana Development Phases

The project was so huge that the government had to divide it into different phases. These include:

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project Phase-1

In October 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase 1 got approval from the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs). The phase aims to develop approximately 35,000 km of roads. To date, a total of 571 projects of about 19,785 km length have been approved under this phase. The overall cost of these projects is around ₹593,820 crore.

Phase-1 Roads

• 9,000 km – Economic corridors
• 6,000 Inter-corridor and feeder routes
• 5,000 km – Roads cover under the National Corridors Efficiency Program
• 2,000 km Border and international connectivity roads
• 2,000 km Coastal and port connectivity roads
• 10,000 km NHDP roads Expressways
• 2,00 km Expressways

Bharatmala Project – Expressways under Phase 1

With the first phase of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the government aims to develop expressways and access-controlled corridors mentioned below:

• Delhi-Faridabad-Sohna
• Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway
• Kanpur-Lucknow Expressway
• Delhi-Vadodara Expressway
• Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway
• Ambala-Kotputli Corridor
• Chennai-Salem Corridor
• Durg-Raipur-Arang Corridor
• Raipur-Vishakhapatnam Corridor
• Chitoor-Thatchur Corridor
• Amritsar-Bhatinda-Jamnagar Corridor
• Hyderabad (Suryapet)-Visakhapatnam (Devarpalle) Corridor
• Kota–Indore (Garoth – Ujjain) Corridor
• Urban Extension Road II
• Delhi-Dehradun Corridor
• Bengaluru-Satellite Ring Road
• Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
• Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway
• Surat-Ahmednagar Solapur
• Solapur-Kurnool Corridor
• Kharagpur-Siliguri Corridor (Till Morgram)
• Indore-Hyderabad Corridor
• Hyderabad-Raipur Corridor
• Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project Phase-2

Currently, no Bharatmala Pariyojana project details are available for the second phase. It is in the planning stage. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 5,000 km of networks that need to be covered.

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project Fundings

The Bharatmala project is a national road and central government road project. The government funded this project through several channels that include allocation of budget, investment through private channels, doubt funds, the model of toll-operator-transfer, and many others.

According to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), they are looking to raise around ₹ 65,000 crores. In the financial year 2022 and financial year 2023 to properly fund the Bharatmala project. The following – allocation of budget, investment through private channels, doubt funds, the model of toll-operator-transfer, investment trust methods will be used to raise funds for the project. 

Bharatmala Pariyojana Project: Key Features

• To improve the quality of roads: The Bharatmala Pariyojana was launched with the aim to bring a new wave of development to the entire nation. The scheme brought that new wave in development which is in the form of well-maintained as well as developed roads. Under the Bharatmala Project, the construction of roads in the entire nation will be undertaken by the agencies.
• Integrated Bharatmala Scheme: The name Bharatmala is given to the scheme, which will be responsible for road development in India. It will also have many other related schemes attached to it. With the completion of all these schemes, the overall success of the scheme will be calculated and guaranteed.
• Segmentation Of Project In Phases: Because of the sheer magnitude as well as the spread of the Bharatmala Road scheme, the project has been divided into seven distinct phases. As for this moment, the first phase of this project is under construction.
• Total Road Construction Under Bharatmala road projects in India: As per the draft of this scheme, the ministry along with the government will be striving to complete the construction of new roads. This new construction will add a whopping distance of 34,800 kilometers.
• Different Categories For Construction Of Roads: The information that the scheme will have to provide better connectivity and construction categories to the various categories of the road in India will be undertaken is highlighted in the official draft of the Bharatmala Road Projects Scheme. 
• Total Tenure Of The Project: According to the Central government, they have planned to complete the project within the span of five years. And the Bharatmala Road project is about to end its first phase before the end of the year 2022.
• Multi-Sourcing Of Finding For The Project: It is a mammoth project, and one source is not enough for funding such a big project. Thus, the government is and will be depending on several other sources to fund and generate adequate funds to meet the expenses of the Bharatmala Project.
• Constriction Of Project On A Daily Basis: To finish the project on time, the respective departments for the project have made all the necessary efforts of constructing at least 18 kilometers of road on a daily basis. The continued efforts are made to increase the level of construction from 18 kilometers to 30 kilometers on a daily basis. 

Agencies Responsible For Construction Under Bharatmala Pariyojana

The following agencies are responsible for construction under the Bharatmala Project are:-

•  National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
• National Highway and Industrial Development Corporation.
• State and Public Works Departments.

These agencies are being ensured with the responsibility and completion of the Bharatmala Road Project. 

Impact Of Bharatmala Pariyojana On Real Estate

Bharatmala Project scheme is going to boost up the sales of the real estate industry. As more and more cities will get connected with the help of their project, the smoother the communication will be built. This will help the real estate industry to connect with people around the country. Also, as the connectivity is smoother, people will tend to buy more and more real estate properties in different corners of the nation. Hence, real estate will see a surge in sales and will become a more profitable industry than before because of the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme for roadways. 

Highlights Of Bharatmala Pariyojana

• Development of Multimodal Logistics Parks and the elimination of chokepoints will lead to improved efficiency of the existing corridors in the nation.
• With the Inland Waterways, it will focus on improving the efficiency of connectivity in the North-Eastern parts of the country and leveraging the synergies.
• It will emphasize on use of scientific planning and technology for the development and Project Preparation as well as Asset Monitoring.
• Expedition of the project delivery through the delegation of powers (Phase 1 is to be completed by Financial Year 2022).
• Improved road connectivity in the north-eastern part of India.  

Projects Not Part Of Bharatmala Pariyojana

If there are any such projects proposed by the State authority or is even considered necessary and are expedient to build that includes the bypass and the ring road, which is not part of the Bharatmala project shelf, such kind of projects can be taken to MoRTH for their consideration only when the state or agency approves to bear a minimum of 50% of land acquisition cost. MoRTH will do a due consultation along with the Ministry of Finance and the other concerned ministries as well as departments. The Grand Challenge mechanism for the projects will be still applying for similar kinds of offers from more than one agency or state. 

Bharatmala Pariyojana Current News Updates 

2nd February 2022
In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Nitin Gadkari mentioned that economic corridors of 9,000 km have been envisaged for execution under Bharatmala Phase-1. Out of this, they have already approved projects comprising a length of 6,087 km. They expect the remaining approval in the two upcoming years.

29th November 2021
The NHAI proposed the alignment of a new expressway to run from Gorakhpur in UP to Siliguri in West Bengal via Bihar. The project comes under the Bharatmala Yojana and has an estimated cost of ₹6000 crores.

August 19, 2021
Centre Will Be Including Nashik Road Stretch In Phase – 1 Of The Bharatmala Project

Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Highway Minister of India, said that the center has included the Dwarka Circle to Datta Mandir Chowk stretch, which is 5.9 kilometers long, of the Nashik Road in Bharatmala Project Phase – 1. In a tweet that he posted on August 19, 2021, Gadkari mentioned that the decision will be bringing a huge sigh of relief to the daily commuter Nashik City and the Nashik Railway Station. It is important for the people as the two spots are separated by seven kilometers of a stretch of the Nashik-Pune (NH) National Highway.

The Road Transport and Highway Ministry will be constructing a flyover from Dwarka Circle to the Datta Mandir Chowk. It will ease the flow of traffic congestion on the Nashik roadway. The heavy vehicles can opt for taking the flyover between the two locations, and can travel across the city, said Hemant Tukaram Godse, MP of Nashik.

August 19, 2021
Chambal Expressway – A Part of Phase – 1 Of Bharatmala Project

Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Highway Minister of India, said that the center has included the 404 kilometers long Chambal Expressway in Phase – 1 of the Bharatmala Project. The Chambal Expressway, which costs around ₹ 8,250 crores, has passed through the far-flung areas of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The expressway will also be providing a cross-connectivity that includes the Golden Quadilateral’s North-South Corridor, the Delhi-Kolkata Corridor, the East-West Corridor, and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

August 19, 2021
Madhya Pradesh’s Atal Progress-Way Included In The Phase – 1 Of Bharatmala Project

Madhya Pradesh’s Atal Progress-Way will be a part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase – 1. It has been included after the Road Transport, and Highway Ministry union approved the inclusion in the Bharatmala. The estimated cost of building is approximately ₹ 7,000 crores, the Atal-way will be developed on 1,500 hectares of land of the government. 

According to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Atal-way will be a lifeline for the development of the Gwalior-Chambal division. It will help in the construction of an industrial corridor on its 404 kilometers long stretch. The path will be the important link of economic growth in that region.

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