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India’s second-largest expressway Ganga expressway in Uttar Pradesh may be ready by this year.
After having many faced hurdles,primarily due to environmental concerns,the ambitious 602-km Ganga Expressway project has got a new lease of life, with the Uttar Pradesh government setting 2025 as the deadline for its completion. Billed to be the second-largest expressway in the country after the 701-km-long Samruddhi Expressway linking Mumbai and Nagpur, it would connect Meerut, on the western fringes of the state, to Prayagraj on the east, cutting across 13 districts and providing connectivity to major industrial cities, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj.
With Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asking the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to consider linking the proposed expressway to Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s constituency, a second phase of the project has been mooted, which would extend the expressway to Ballia, near the Bihar border. In case the roughly 300-km extension plan materializes, the Ganga Expressway would become the longest e-way in the country (approx. 900 km long), connecting eastern Uttar Pradesh to the National Capital through a string of expressways.
The first phase of the six-lane expressway (expandable to eight lanes) would cover approximately 555 villages of central and western Uttar Pradesh, which is a hub of agricultural and industrial activity. UPEIDA, the nodal agency for the project, has estimated Rs 23,436.88 crore as construction costs. With land acquisition costing another Rs 10,000 crore, the overall project cost has been pegged at Rs 39,298 crore.
UP Additional Chief Secretary and CEO UPEIDA Awanish Kumar Awasthi says the dream project would reduce travel time between Delhi and Prayagraj from the present 10-11 hours to 6-7 hours. “The Ganga Expressway would ensure fast-paced economic development, which the state has long desired. The moment the financials are worked out, work on the expressway will start in earnest”, he says, adding that plans are afoot to get the foundation stone for the project laid around Diwali. “We hope to start construction work by the end of this year,” he adds.
The project would be divided into 12 packages for simultaneous development by concessionaires, who would be selected through a competitive bidding process. “The detailed project report is ready and will be placed before the state Cabinet for approval. The land acquisition process, too, shall start soon,” he says, highlighting that the mammoth expressway would have 292 underpasses, 8 Road Over Bridges, 10 flyovers, 19 interchanges and 137 bridges.
Says an official of UPEIDA, “The Ganga Expressway would revolutionize the state’s economy and bring the national as well as international market closer home,” adding that not only would it provide faster transit to agri and commercial goods from the region and boost exports, but also give a fillip to the travel and tourism industry.
First proposed by a Mayawati government in 2007, the then 1,047-km-long project got stalled when the Allahabad High Court quashed the environmental clearance granted to it in 2009, holding that the alignment of the proposed expressway was too close to the Ganga and would damage its flood plains. Learning from that experience, the Yogi government has reworked the alignment and decided to build the expressway 10 km away from the riverbank.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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