Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday announced a slew of developments for Nagpur, including hydrogen-powered buses on city roads within three months and the inauguration of the Indora–Mota Tajbagh flyover on August 1.
Addressing a press conference in Nagpur to mark 12 years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Gadkari said a hydrogen pump will be set up in Nagpur and two hydrogen-run buses will be operational on city roads within three months.
On the clean fuel front, Gadkari said he has signed the file for 100 per cent ethanol use in vehicles. Maruti has already launched the first car running entirely on ethanol, and two- and three-wheeler companies are expected to follow soon. He added that MG Hector and Toyota will also launch 100 per cent ethanol vehicles shortly. He dismissed ongoing “misinformation” in the market about ethanol as unfounded.
Gadkari announced that Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur will be handed over to GMR Group on June 25, after which development work will begin at speed. He said once the airport reaches full capacity, aviation fuel produced by Vidarbha farmers will be used in aircraft.
On urban infrastructure, Gadkari said the Nagpur–Hyderabad highway has cut travel time between the two cities to three hours. He also announced a target of planting 25 lakh trees in Nagpur district. He said e-rickshaws have ended human exploitation for 1.5 crore citizens and called for remote-sensing mapping of forest cover across all talukas in Maharashtra.
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