PM Inaugurates UER-II, Dwarka Expressway: Boost to Connectivity and Economy

A 16.5 km of the Dwarka Expressway and a major chunk of the UER-II-urban extension road made at a cost of close to 11,000 crores was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The Dwarka Expressway and UER-II, 10 km and 66-km respectively, would decongest Inner Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and NH-48 once operational. These projects will enhance connections with Alipur, Narela, Bawana, Rohini, Mundka, Najafgarh, Bahadurgarh and Sonipat. The projects will minimize the environmental pollution, travel time saving and economic booster to the NCR. A call to PM Modi asking the citizens to go vocal for the locals was also encouraging to use Made-in-India products.

Context 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway and a major stretch of the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), built at a combined cost of nearly ₹11,000 crore. 

• The 66-km UER-II stretch and 10-km Dwarka Expressway section will help decongest Delhi by diverting traffic from Inner and Outer Ring Roads and NH-48.

Key Points

Overview

• City Projections: Delhi is plagued by continuous traffic jams and pollution, on Ring Roads, as well as NH-48.

• Infrastructure Push: UER-II is visualised as the third Ring Road in Delhi facilitating movement of freight and passenger traffic.

• Policy Message: Policy Massage: PM, in addition to inaugurating infrastructure, has brought about economic nationalism with vocals for locals.

Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)

• Long: 66 kilometers; Price: 5600 crores.

• It is a link road between NH-44 (Alipur) and NH-48 (Najafgarh Road) passing through Bawana region, Narela backside, Mundka, and Najafgarh.

• Offloads traffic into Inner and Outer Ring Roads and eases traffic jams at Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan and Mahipalpur.

• Advantages of freight transportation to Bahadurgarh / Sonipat / nearby industrial centres.

Delhi Section, Dwarka Expressway

• Length: 10 km (Shiv Murti to Delhi- Haryana border); Cost: 5400 crore.

• Existing alternative link in case of congestion in NH-48 between Delhi and Gurugram.

• It has tunnels and under passage to make connectivity with Dwarka, IGI Airport and Gurugram smoother.

Economic and environmental effect

• It will take less time to travel and less consumption of gasoline → decrease in automobile pollution.

• Increase logistics, trade and industrial connectivity in NCR.

• Development of direct, high speed connectivity with the other emerging economical corridors.

Appeal by PM: Vocal of Local

• Encouraged masses to use more Made-in-India goods, more particularly in festivals.

• The mantra of the said Vocal for Local should be a way of life taking a cue of the call given by Charkha and Mahatma Gandhi of the Swadeshi.

• Strained that the self reliant India needs government policy as well as people participation.

Conclusion 

Opening of UER-II, and Dwarka Expressway is an important move in alleviating traffic congestion and lowering travel time and enhancing economic transparency within NCR. In tandem with the physical infrastructure is the support of economic self-reliance and citizen-led growth discoursed by the PM when she asked the citizens to be vocal of being local. In a combination, these efforts reinforce the urban circulation and national economic policy.