A record 47,350 km of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) roads was constructed during 2016-17. This is the highest construction of PMGSY roads in a single year, in the last seven years. While 25,316 km of PMGSY roads were constructed in 2013-14, road construction in 2014-15 was 36,337 km and in 2015-16, it was 36,449 km.
A release issued by the Ministry of Rural Development states that during the period 2011-14, the average rate of construction of PMGSY roads was 73 km per day, which increased to 100 km per day during 2014-15 and 2015-16. For the year 2016-17, a record 130 km per day has been achieved, which is the highest average annual construction rate, in the last seven years.
The release further added that 11,614 habitations were provided connectivity by construction of 47,350 km of PMGSY roads during 2016-17 (an average of 32 habitations being provided connectivity every day). In terms of number of habitations connected with PMGSY roads, 11,606 is again the highest ever in the last seven years.
With a view to reduce the carbon footprint of rural roads, reduce environmental pollution, increase the working season and bring cost effectiveness, PMGSY is aggressively encouraging use of green technologies and non-conventional materials like waste plastic, cold mix, geo-textiles, fly ash, iron and copper slag etc., in rural roads. A total of 4,113.13 km of PMGSY roads was constructed using green technologies in 2016-17.
This is substantially higher than the 2,634.02 km achieved during 2014-2016 and 806.93 km achieved during 2000-2014.
To ensure quality assurance, the field inspections of PMGSY works by National Quality Monitors (NQMs) were increased. The period 2016-17 witnessed a record number of 7,597 NQM inspections compared to 6,516 inspections in 2015-16, 5,226 inspections in 2014-15 and 2,977 inspections in 2013-14. Out of 7,597 works inspected, only 8.21 per cent works were found to be of “unsatisfactory” quality in 2015-16.
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