The eagerly-awaited Jewar (or Noida) airport, with construction progress surpassing 75 per cent, is poised to start operations soon. The airport is poised to become Asia's largest and the world's fourth-largest. Notably, both the runways and the crucial air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure have been completed, indicating a strong likelihood of the airport being operational within the next two or three months. Contact: Noida International Airport Website: www.nialjewar.com The new flyover from Mumbai airport to Bandra is operational The much-awaited flyover, from Mumbai Airport's Terminal 2 to Bandra while also enabling a smooth commute from Andheri to the airport's Terminal 1 in Vile Parle, is now operational. This new flyover will ensure a congestion-free commute. Apart from paving the way for a faster and safer commute to the airport, this new flyover will also ease congestion at several intersections underneath the Western Express Highway (WEH). The traffic situation on the WEH is also expected to become smoother with this new addition. Furthermore, a range of innovative techniques have been used for the construction of this flyover. For instance, steel and PSC girders have been used throughout the flyover while it has also incorporated the new 'Inverted T Arrangements' method. Pod taxi service from Bandra to Kurla railway stations gets nod Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved a pod taxi service between Bandra and Kurla railway stations in Mumbai via Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), covering a distance of 8.80 km. The system will have 38 stations along the route, with a capacity of six passengers per pod and a maximum speed of 40 km per hour. Pod taxis are electric, driverless vehicles that operate on a chargeable battery. They offer an environment-friendly means of transportation and the project aims to enhance connectivity and ease congestion, particularly in BKC. Contact: MMRDA Website: www.mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in Palghar district's first RO-RO ferry service has begun Palghar district's first Ro-Ro ferry service between Vasai and Bhayander, covering 3.50 km has commenced on a pilot basis for passengers and vehicles. While the waterway service is expected to boost tourism in the two cities, with motorists in the Vasai-Bhayander belt likely to save around 50 minutes, regular office goers are unlikely to find much relief from crowded trains and congested roads. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) conducted trial runs between the Vasai (fort) jetty and the Bhayander (west) jetty. The 3.50 km distance by water will take about 15 minutes one-way. The total distance includes a four km road too. A total of 100 passengers and 33 vehicles can be ferried in a single journey. India’s solar waste could reach 600 kilotonnes by 2030: Study India’s solar waste could reach a staggering 600 kilotonnes by 2030, equivalent to filling up 720 Olympic-size swimming pools, according to a new study. The study by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and independent think-tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said around 67 per cent of this waste will come from five states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. India’s current installed 66.7 GW capacity (as of FY23) has already generated about 100 kilotonnes of waste, which will increase to 340 kilotonnes by 2030. This solar waste will increase to about 19,000 kilotonnes by 2050. Arunachal Pradesh Centre sanctions over Rs 66.21 billion for frontier highway in Arunachal Pradesh Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Roads said that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 66.21 billion for construction of the ambitious frontier highway in Arunachal Pradesh. The allocation has been made for construction of eight packages on National Highway 913 (Frontier Highway), transitioning to an intermediate lane configuration using the EPC mode. The project spans a total length of 265.49 km. Gadkari said that additionally these stretches play a vital role in establishing essential road infrastructure connecting significant river basins, thereby enabling the development of numerous hydropower projects. Himachal Pradesh Himachal CM lays foundation stones of projects worth Rs 1.1 billion in Shillai Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various development projects, worth around Rs 1.1 billion, in Shillai assembly constituency of Sirmaur district. The projects include a flow irrigation scheme completed with an outlay of Rs 5.967 million and a lift irrigation scheme with a cost of Rs 18.5 million in Kamrau gram panchayat. The CM laid the foundation stone of the Salwala-Sataun road to be constructed at a cost of Rs 159 million and a veterinary hospital to be constructed at a cost of Rs 6.96 million in Ronhat. Minister Nitin Gadkari lays foundation of highway projects worth Rs 25 billion Giving impetus to development of Jharkhand through building modern infrastructure, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Roads, Transport and Highways, laid the foundation stones of highway projects to the tune of over Rs 25 billion. The minister, while laying the foundation stones virtually, said these projects whose foundation stones were laid include the construction of the four-laning of Tupudana to Kundibartoli section (including Khunti bypass) and widening and upgradation of the Bero to Khunti section. Maharashtra Infrastructure projects of Rs 8 trillion are under various stages of execution Infrastructure projects worth Rs 8 trillion are currently under various stages of implementation in Maharashtra, the highest in any state, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said. He said Maharashtra was the No. 1 state in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and one of the biggest contributors to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He promised to make Mumbai’s roads pothole-free in the next two years. He said that infrastructure development remains his government's top priority. He said that Maharashtra has the highest number of infrastructure projects under implementation. It is a preferred destination for a large number of industries and some business entities have also evinced interest as the state has good infrastructure and connectivity, along with potential for more growth. Seven key projects with Rs 801.25 billion investment get approval Odisha has approved seven key projects with an investment of Rs 801.25 billion in different sectors which will create job opportunities for 24,552 people in sectors including steel, green energy, etc. These projects are spread over Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Ganjam and Bhadrak districts. ACME Greentech Urja has plans to set up an integrated manufacturing unit at Khurda to produce solar power panels for which it will pump in Rs 360 billion and hire around 6,300 people. Waaree Clean Energy Solutions, India's largest solar panel manufacturer, will set up a 1.20 MMTPA green ammonia plant in Jagatsinghpur at an investment of Rs 124.80 billion, providing employment to 3,250 people. Jaipur: E-rickshaws to connect bus terminals with metro stations Under the Integrated Transport Management System, the state government is relying on e-rickshaws to provide last-mile connectivity to and from the upcoming satellite bus terminals in the city with the nearest metro stations. Officials of the urban development and housing (UDH) department said that according to initial plans, there is a provision for an e-rickshaw bay at the new bus terminus adjacent to the 200-feet bypass-Ajmer Road crossing and also at the proposed metro station at 200-feet bypass. Tamil Nadu Four-lane upgraded highways inaugurated in TN In a major thrust to expand the infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister inaugurated two-lane highways that have been upgraded into four-lane roads, and opened a bridge across the Kosasthalaiyar river. The total cost of the projects was Rs 5.1826 billion. The four-lane Tirunelveli-Sengottai-Kollam Road, widened Tambaram-Mudichur-Sriperumbudur Road, Uthiramerur-Bukkathurai Road and four-lane Cuddalore-Chittoor Road and the bridge constructed across the Kosasthalaiyar river in Tiruvallur district are among |the projects inaugurated by the Chief Minister. The projects were executed by the highways department under the Chief Minister's Road Development Programme. Telangana TSRTC's 22 Green buses flagged off in Hyderabad The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) rolled out a fleet of 22 environment-friendly electric non-AC buses. These buses will be operated in Hyderabad. Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, women can travel for free in these buses. These e-buses, which are 12 metres long, have zero emissions. The buses with 35 passenger capacity can be operated for 225 km with a single charge and it can be charged in 3 to 4 hours. The TSRTC transports 471 million passengers daily by operating 9,067 buses covering 323.3 million km. TSRTC aims to launch 1,050 e-buses. CM Saha inaugurates new terminal building at Nagerjala bus stand Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated the new terminal building of Nagerjala bus stand in Agartala. Inaugurating the programme the Chief Minister said that the government is working to provide better services to the people by building modern infrastructure. He said that advanced infrastructure and modern buildings are being built in the state. Tripura has come a long way in terms of infrastructural development. Through the implementation of all these programmes, employment opportunities will also be created along with providing better services to the citizens. The Nagerjala bus stand was once a fallen water body and an unusable place. He said that long-distance passengers will benefit from the inauguration of this new terminal building. ADB approves funding of Rs 12.94 billion for projects in Tehri District The Department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand said that Tehri is set for a makeover with several developmental projects on the anvil for which the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a funding of Rs 12.94 billion. The projects will be funded in a ratio of 80:20 with ADB bearing 80 percent of the expenditure and the Uttarakhand government bearing 20 percent of the expenses. Sachin Kurve, Secretary, Tourism, and CEO of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board said that in order to promote sustainable inclusive, climate resilient tourism and for the development of designated areas in Tehri, the state decided to develop Tehri Lake and surrounding areas as a special tourist area. Israel expects 300 million trips a year on fast electric trains by 2040 Israel's Transportation Ministry reported that in recent days, Israel Railways marked a major milestone in the development plan for the coming decades, with the completion of the upgrade of the signalling system to electronic signalling throughout the country. The ministry said that the changeover is to electronic signalling, which will be the basis for the reception of the new tracks being built today. The upgrades also include the assimilation of the most advanced railway technologies, such as electrification, railway cellular frequencies for control, and the improvement of service and travel safety. The ministry described all of this as another step on the way to the 2040 vision. Kazakhstan pushes to increase trade with India via INSTC Kazakhstan is keen to increase trade with India via the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC).Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov travelled to Moscow to attend a meeting with PM Mikhail Mishustin. High on the agenda was INSTC and in particular, the section of railway interlinking Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan route is the one of the branches of INSTC to connect India with Eurasia. Zero-emission ship nears finish of round-the-world voyage A ship powered by renewable energy, including hydrogen produced onboard, is docked in Florida as it prepares to finish the last leg of a voyage around the world. The 100-foot catamaran, dubbed the Energy Observer, has logged 63,040 nautical miles without using fossil fuels since it first started sailing in 2017. This particular trip around the world started in 2020.The mission has tested renewable energy - including by using solar panels and advanced sails - as a power source in multiple climates off the coasts of Africa, Asia and Antarctica. The automated 12-metre wings boost the ship's speed and reduce energy consumption. The project hopes to influence the shipping and maritime sectors, especially as its oceanwings have been used in commercial shipping. Singapore will require the gradual use of low-carbon jet fuel from 2026 onwards Aviation hub Singapore will require airlines departing from the city-state to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026 as part of industry plans to cut carbon emissions. But as the environment-friendly fuel is three to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel, authorities will introduce a levy on tickets to help cushion costs. Aviation is responsible for between two and three percent of global CO2 emissions but it is one of the most difficult industries to decarbonise. SAFs are produced from renewable biomass and waste resources and can comprise up to 50 percent of jet fuel mixes. Indian drone manufacturer IdeaForge enters US market India's drone industry, with an enabling environment from the Indian government, has leapfrogged in the last 10 years, the CEO of a leading Indian drone manufacturer has said as his company has showcased its products in the highly competitive US market. Indian drone manufacturing company IdeaForge, ranked fifth globally in the dual-use category of civil and defence, is entering the American drone market at a time when there is a reluctance to buy or acquire those made in China. Ankit Mehta, CEO, IdeaForge, said that people now want to deploy drones for as many use cases as possible. Contact: IdeaForge Website: www.ideaforgetech.com