More on Dholera SIR

In the next three months, Gujarat’s greenfield integrated industrial township at Dholera would be part of a restricted band of projects chosen by Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Industrial Corporation (DMICDC) for global bidding. This is an achievement for Gujarat which would be pitching its most priced project in the DMIC league. “Gujarat will be the first state to adhere to DMICDC’s deadline for submitting a pre-feasibility report. Gujarat Industrial Development Board (GIDB), the nodal agency for the Dholera industrial park and township, is now giving final touches to the process,” says a senior GIDB official. Along with Dholera, DMICDC has listed three other projects worth $100 billion. They are a Rs 2,500 crore logistics hub in Pune, a Rs 800 crore-Rs 900 crore exhibition and convention centre in Aurangabad and a water supply and waste water management in Pithampur Industrial Area in Madhya Pradesh. GIDB officials say that the first part of the project, which includes the core portion of the Dholera SIR, is scheduled to be completed by 2017-18. What is being seen here is that nearly 65 per cent-70 per cent of the projects are being executed in public private partnerships. This would require large civic trunk lines that would take the essentials like water supply and drainage to the integrated industrial park in Dholera. DMICDC’s status report clearly mentions that the project plan prepared by consultancy firm Halcrow would be put in public domain for suggestions and objections by GIDB for notification purposes. A pre-feasibility final report is also being prepared for the integrated township concerning use of renewable energy, integrated housing for industry workers, water management system, and flood management system. Land acquisition on certain stretches is also on. Besides, the draft pre-feasibility studies for two expressways -- Indore-Ahmedabad and Pune-Nashik -- are being reviewed. Also, four power projects for Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP have been finalised.