National
Railways to conduct Heavy-haul train trial in freight corridor tomorrow
Expediting the much-delayed Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project, the railways will conduct a trial run of a goods train on the newly-completed 306 km section between Madar (Ajmer) in Rajasthan and Kishangarh (Rewari) in Haryana in the western segment on Sunday.
This section is a vital alignment on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor and aims to augment the transportation capacity of freight, besides hugely reducing the load on the existing rail network that is congested with passenger and goods traffic.
Equipped for heavy-haul train operation with 25 tonne axle loads for the first time in the country, the section contains 15 major bridges and 271 minor bridges and 177 Road Under Bridges (RUB).
Currently, Indian trains haul a 22.5 tonne axle load while heavy-haul operations are carried out only in the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, China, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and Norway.
The 306 km route has six newly-built freight stations – Dabla, Bhagega, Sri Madhopur, Pachar Malikpur, Sakhun and Kishangarh and three junctions – Rewari, Ateli and Phulera.
The DFC project is crucial for Indian Railways as it faces stiff competition from the road sector for the movement of goods. The shifting of goods from roads to rail will also save precious fossil fuel which will be a boon for the environment.
The Rs 81,400 crore DFC project had got the Union Cabinet’s green signal way back in 2006 and has since missed several deadlines due to various reasons, including procedural wrangles, land acquisition and environmental clearances, among others.
The earlier targeted completion of the project was 2016-17. It was shifted to 2017-18 and now has finally been set at March 2020.
Admitting the delay in the past, a senior railway official invovlved in the project said: “Work is on in full swing now and we are hopeful of completing the project in 2020.”
Stepping up its efforts, the DFC in November had completed the 194 km section from Bhadan to Khurja (in Uttar Pradesh) of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC).
The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC), a spcial purpose vehicle (SPV) has been formed for planning, constructing, operating and maintaining the exclusive corridors for the movement of goods.
While the Western DFC will cover 1,504 km from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust near Navi Mumbai to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh via Vadodara-Ahmedabad-Palanpur-Phulera-Rewari, the Eastern DFC covers 1,856 km from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni, near Kolkata in West Bengal, and will traverse the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
The DFC, one of India’s largest rail infrastructure projects, is expected to be the grand future of the Indian economy with an increased number of freight trains in eastern and western sectors of the country.
The Western DFC is being funded by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), while the Eastern DFC from Mughalsarai to Ludhiana is being funded by the World Bank.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.