Bharatmala Pariyojna is a mega road development project launched by the Government of India in 2017. The project aims to improve the connectivity and efficiency of the road network across the country by building new highways, bridges, tunnels, expressways, and logistics parks. The project covers a total of 83,677 km of roads, which will be constructed in seven phases over a period of five years. The total investment for the project is estimated at Rs 10.64 lakh crore (US$130 billion), making it the single largest outlay for a government road construction scheme.
The main objectives of the Bharatmala project are:
- To connect 550 district headquarters (from current 300) through a minimum 4-lane highway by raising the number of corridors to 50 (from current 6).
- To move 80% freight traffic (40% currently) to National Highways by interconnecting 24 logistics parks, 66 inter-corridors (IC) of total 8,000 km (5,000 mi), 116 feeder routes (FR) of total 7,500 km (4,700 mi) and 7 north east Multi-Modal waterway ports.
- To enhance focus on improving connectivity in North East and leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways, Sagarmala, Dedicated Freight Corridors, Industrial corridors, UDAN-RCS, BharatNet, Digital India, Parvatmala and Make in India schemes.
- To improve the efficiency of existing corridors through development of Multimodal Logistics Parks and elimination of choke points.
- To develop green-field expressways for faster and safer movement of traffic.
- To provide connectivity to far-flung border and rural areas including the tribal and backward areas.
The Bharatmala project is expected to generate several benefits for the country, such as:
- Boosting economic growth and employment generation by creating demand for construction materials, equipment, and labour.
- Reducing logistics cost and travel time for freight and passenger movement by providing seamless connectivity and reducing congestion.
- Enhancing national security and strategic advantage by improving access to border areas and integrating them with the mainland.
- Promoting regional development and social inclusion by connecting remote areas and satellite cities with megacities.
- Improving road safety and environmental sustainability by adopting modern technology and scientific planning for project preparation and asset monitoring.
The Bharatmala project is being implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in coordination with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), State Public Works Departments (PWDs), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and other agencies. The project is being funded by a mix of sources, such as:
- Central Road Fund
- Toll collections
- Monetisation of existing assets
- Market borrowings
- Private sector participation
- External assistance
The Bharatmala project is a visionary initiative that will transform India’s road infrastructure and create a new India that is connected, prosperous, secure, and inclusive.