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Showing posts with label JICA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JICA. Show all posts

Thursday, 31 December 2020

11:57

India's First Driverless Train and National Common Mobility Card Services on Delhi Metro

 India's First Driverless Train and National Common Mobility Card Services on Delhi Metro 

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, dt. 28.12.2020

HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER INAUGURATES INDIA’S FIRST DRIVERLESS TRAIN AND NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD SERVICES ON DELHI METRO

Hon’ble Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi today inaugurated the country’s first ever fully automated ‘Driverless Train’ service by flagging off the first such train stationed at Jasola Vihar-Shaheen Bagh Metro station on Delhi Metro’s 37 km long Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden) and also the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on the 23 km long Airport Express Line (New Delhi to Dwarka Sector 21) via video conference in the presence of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Housing and Urban Affairs, Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri and the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sh. Arvind Kejriwal. 

The inaugural ceremony held through video conferencing was attended by thousands of people from across the globe as history was created with the operationalisation of India's first ever driverless train. Apart from senior dignitaries from the Central Government and the Government of the NCT of Delhi, the event was also witnessed online by HE Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Satoshi SUZUKI. Senior dignitaries from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), from Tokyo and Delhi also witnessed the event online.

With the launch of these fully automated Driverless Train operations (DTO), India enters into the elite league of few countries having this facility in their Metro system. The fully automated trains will reduce human intervention in operations and offer more reliability and safety for the commuters. This system also brings more flexibility in trains in operation. As a result, the number of trains in service can be regulated based on demand dynamically without any dependence on availability of crew. Since these trains operate on communication based train control (signalling) system, they can be run with a headway as high as 90 seconds to offer more carrying capacity.  

In DTO, initially, the train operator will be present in the train to instil a sense of confidence and assistance. DTO’s higher level of diagnostic features will help move from conventional Time Based Maintenance to Condition Based Maintenance. This will also reduce maintenance down time of trains. 

The NCMC service enables passengers from any part of the country travelling on the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line to use their NCMC compliant RuPay debit card for seamless travel. The same card can also be used for shopping, banking transactions etc. across the country. DMRC’s system will be able to accept transactions from 23 banks through the RuPay debit card issued by them.

DMRC is planning to similarly upgrade its entire existing network by 2022 to facilitate the travel by this NCMC compliant Rupay Debit card. The existing Delhi Metro smart cards, tokens (currently not in use due to Covid 19 pandemic), QR Codes, etc., will also continue to remain in use. In addition, all upcoming corridors of Phase-IV will also be built with NCMC compliant Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system at the stations. 

Source:Delhi Metro

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Saturday, 29 September 2018

07:24

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency and India Loan Agreement for High Speed Mumbai -Ahmedabad Rail Project

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency and India Loan Agreement for High Speed Mumbai -Ahmedabad Rail Project

India and Japan sign Loan Agreement for Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (I) and Kolkata East West Metro Project (III) with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 

Two Loan Agreements were signed here today between Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Mr. Katsuo Matsumoto, Chief Representative, JICA, New Delhi on Japanese Official Development Assistance loan for Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (I) of Yen 89.457 billion (Rs.5591 crore approx.) and Kolkata East-West Metro Project (III) of Yen 25.903 billion (Rs.1619 crore approx.) [Exchange Rate: Yen 100 = Rs.62.50].

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has steadily progressed. This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.

The objective of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (I) is to develop mass and high frequent transportation system by constructing high speed rail between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with the use of Japanese high speed rail technologies, thereby improving the connectivity in India.

The objective of the Kolkata East West Metro Project (III) is to cope with the increase in traffic demand in Kolkata metropolitan area by extending the mass rapid transit system and improving urban environment through mitigation of traffic jams and decrease of pollution caused by increasing motor vehicles.
Source:PIBNEWS

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Thursday, 21 September 2017

18:52

First Bullet Train Between Mumbai and Ahmedabad Construction Work Started from 14th September 2017

First Bullet Train Between Mumbai and Ahmedabad Construction Work Started from 14th September 2017

The 508km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed link will be India's maiden high-speed rail project. It is part of the 650km Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad line, one of the six high-speed corridors identified for implementation in the country.
"The high-speed rail project is part of the 650km Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad line."
The high-speed rail (HSR) linking Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with Maharashtra's capital Mumbai is being advanced as a fast-track pilot project.
The high-speed line is expected to spearhead the bullet train services in other parts of India. Estimated to cost Rs1.1tn ($17.15bn), the project is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam and National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC).
Ground was broken for the construction of the line on 14 September 2017 by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The line will be built on an elevated corridor for most of its length (468km) along an existing route, barring a 27km section inside a tunnel (including a 7km section undersea) and 13km aboveground.
The project is expected to reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to less than two hours compared to the current journey time of more than seven hours.
Line route and stations
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail will begin from Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex and end near Sabarmati railway station in Gujarat, covering 12 stations in total.
The stations covered by the project include Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadia, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. Two rail depots will be built, one each near Thane and Sabarmati Rail Depot.
Role of JICA in India's first bullet train project
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Indian Ministry of Railway signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to study the feasibility of the corridor in October 2013. Rail Vikas Nigam subsidiary High Speed Rail Corporation (HSRC) was also associated with the feasibility study. The final feasibility report was submitted to Ministry of Railways in July 2015.
JICA further signed a memorandum for general consultancy with the Ministry of Railways, Government of India / HSRC, and a joint venture (JV) comprising Japan International Consultants for Transportation (JIC), NIPPON KOEI and Oriental Consultants Global, in December 2016.
The General Counsel is responsible to provide design and bidding assistance for the public works and systems associated with the project. JICA also agreed to cover the expenses related to the same.
Financing
Japan agreed to provide a soft loan of Rs880bn ($13.72bn) at an interest rate of 0.1% a year to be repaid within 50 years.
Contractors involved
The JIC, NIPPON KOEI and Oriental Consultants Global JV appointed India-based development advisory company Taru Leading Edge to prepare an Indigenous People Plan for the areas and people affected by the project.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR project development history
The pre-feasibility study for the Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR project was completed in December 2010 by French consulting firm Systra, along with Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and Italy's ITALFER. It had projected approximately 26.6 million passengers using the high-speed line in 2021 and 104 million passengers in 2041.
The Pune-Mumbai section was dropped from the pilot phase implementation plan due to cost constraints. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR was prioritised for development based on intercity traffic projections and relatively higher per capita income in Gujarat and Maharashtra states.
An MoU was signed between the Ministry of Railways, Government of India and the French National Railway (SNCF) in February 2013, under which both the parties agreed to jointly carry out 'operations and development' feasibility of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR project. SNCF agreed to fund the study with support from the French Ministry of Finance.

Source:Railway Technology



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Thursday, 15 June 2017

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Monday, 12 June 2017

08:18

Indian Railways:NewToilet System for Men,Women and Separate Washrooms in E5 Shinkansen Series Bullet Train

Indian Railways:NewToilet System for Men,Women and Separate Washrooms in E5 Shinkansen Series Bullet Train
Railways: New toilet system with urinals, separate washrooms for men, women in offing
Railways is gearing up to acquire 25 E5 Shinkasen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for the Modi government's first bullet train project.
Rail passengers can look forward to an entirely new kind of toilet system — urinals, western style toilets with hot water and washing closet seat facility and separate washrooms for men and women equipped with triple mirrors for make-up. The E5 Shinkansen series bullet trains to be pressed into service on the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed corridor will also have baby changing rooms comprising baby toilet seats, tables for diaper disposal and a low sink for children for washing hands.
Railways is gearing up to acquire 25 E5 Shinkasen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for the Modi government’s first bullet train project. The 731-seater E5 series Shinkansen bullet train, a new generation Japanese high speed train, will also have multi-purpose room to be used for breast feeding and also for sick passengers.
Besides, there will be two extra-spacious toilets for wheelchair-bound passengers in the 10-coach high speed train. Facilities of separate rest rooms and toilets for men and women while introducing wall mounted type urinals for men in the high speed train are in the offing for the first time in Indian Railways, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the Rs 1 lakh crore bullet train project.
However, urinals and toilets will be installed in alternate coaches in the train. For example, toilets will be installed in coach number 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 while urinals will be available in coach number 2, 4, 6 and 8. Washrooms for men and women will also be placed in similar way. There will be luggage space for business class passengers in the train. Besides business, there will be also Standard class passengers. While the train will have 698 seats for Standard class, 55 seats will be earmarked for Business class.
The bullet train with seating facility will take about 2 hours 7 minutes to travel 508-km distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Most of the corridor will be elevated, except for a 21 km underground tunnel between Thane and Virar, of which 7 km will be under sea. The undersea tunnel was chosen to avoid damaging the thick vegetation present in the area. The corridor will begin at the underground station in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and then traverse 21 km underground before emerging above ground at Thane.
JICA has agreed to fund 81 per cent of the total project cost through a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1 per cent and a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years. Indian Railways will invest Rs 9,800 crore in the high-speed rail project and the remaining cost will be borne by the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat
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Thursday, 6 April 2017

08:09

JICA ODA LOAN AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA FOR SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

JICA ODA LOAN AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA FOR SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Signing of Japanese ODA Loan Agreements with India: Comprehensive support for further socioeconomic development in India over a wide range of fields

signing ceremony
On March 31, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed loan agreements with the Government of India in Delhi to provide Japanese ODA loans of up to a total of 308.762 billion yen for eight projects.

Since the 2000s, there has been much attention on the economic growth trends of India, one of the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Although the global Great Recession that began in 2008 caused a deceleration of economic growth, since the establishment of the Modi administration in 2014 with its focus on economics, India’s economy has grown rapidly at a rate exceeding seven percent.

This growth notwithstanding, comprehensive support is needed to improve the state of poverty in India, where about 30 percent of the world’s poor live.

A summary of the eight Japanese ODA projects provided by the loan agreements is as follows:
(1) North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 1) (I) (loan amount: 67.17 billion yen)
(2) Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Project (I) (loan amount: 144.795 billion yen)
(3) Delhi Eastern Peripheral Expressway Intelligent Transport Systems Installation Project (loan amount: 6.87 billion yen)
(4) Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (I) (loan amount: 13.725 billion yen)
(5) Chennai Metro Project (V) (loan amount: 33.321 billion yen)
(6) Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (Phase 2) (loan amount: 14.512 billion yen)
(7) Nagaland Forest Management Project (loan amount: 6.224 billion yen)
(8) Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program (Phase 2) (loan amount: 22.145 billion yen)

Details for the projects are provided below.

(1)North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 1) (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
Including measures such as road widening, paving and slope stabilization, the project will improve National Highways 51 and 54 in North Eastern Region of India, which is adjacent to Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan. These improvements will boost the level of connectivity between the target region and other areas inside and outside of India, thereby contributing to economic development in the region.

(b) Background and Necessity
Along with a population increase and economic growth in recent years, there has been a growing demand for road improvements to handle domestic goods distribution, but road improvement and transportation efficiency measures tend to fall behind demand. National road improvements especially in mountainous areas lag behind improvements in flat regions for financial reasons and due to the technical challenges involved. The North Eastern Region, which is the target area of the project, in particular faces challenges such as a higher poverty rate than the average for India overall, steep terrain with hills and mountains that hinder road improvement efforts, a lack of road widening and slope stabilization measures, and broken pavement. The region also receives a large amount of rainfall, and landslides due to the steep terrain frequently make the roads impassable in the rainy season, hindering the flow of goods, and such road blockages are an impediment to economic development in the North Eastern Region. In addition to hindering the stable supply of goods, the delay in road improvements also impedes access to medical and educational facilities, and the existing national roads do not function adequately as a lifeline for the region. Improving the road network is a priority to ensure that local residents have a lifeline and for economic development.

(c) Executing Agency
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited
Address: Third Floor, PTI Building, 4 Parliament Street, New Delhi, 110001, India
Phone: +91-11-2346-1600, fax: +91-11-2371-1103

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: June 2022 – when the roads are put into service
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Package 9: From Km 85.000 to Km 94.226, From Km 101.000 to Km 143.280, NH51
Planned release date: September 2017

(2)Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Project (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will construct a sea bridge (three lanes each way, total distance of approximately 22 kilometers) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Maharashtra, in West India, over Mumbai Harbour to connect central Mumbai with Navi Mumbai on the opposing shore. The bridge will improve the connectivity to Navi Mumbai and other local areas where large-scale urban development is underway, thereby contributing to the economic development of the MMR.

(b) Background and Necessity
The MMR of Maharashtra in West India is one of the largest metropolitan areas of the country with a population of about 18.41 million people (2011 national census). On the tip of a peninsula is Mumbai proper, the center of the MMR and one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Because of the geographical and population constraints, traffic congestion is a severe impediment to MMR regional economic development. Given the scarcity of available land for development at the tip of the peninsula, the State Government of Maharashtra is promoting urban development in Navi Mumbai on the opposing coast by enticing industries to relocate there from Mumbai. Other urban development measures include expanding Jawaharlal Nehru Port, constructing Navi Mumbai International Airport and developing a special economic zone. These developments notwithstanding, the only transportation means between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are a circuitous road around the bay and a single rail line, and it is therefore essential to improve the connectivity between the two urban areas for regional economic development in the MMR.

(c) Executing Agency
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
Address: Bandra – Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai, 400051, India
Phone: +91-22-2659-0001~0004/2659-4000, fax: +91-22-2659-1264

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: June 2021 – when the facilities are put into service
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): Consultants have already been hired
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Package 1: Construction of a 10.380 km long bridge section (CH 0+000 – CH 10+380) across the Mumbai Bay including Sewri Interchange
Planned release date: January 2017 (already released)

(3)Delhi Eastern Peripheral Expressway Intelligent Transport Systems Installation Project

(a) Objective and Summary
By installing intelligent traffic systems (ITS) on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, currently under construction in the Delhi Metropolitan Area by the National Highways Authority of India, this project will create an efficient traffic system capable of handling the increasing need for transportation, thereby promoting economic development in the Delhi Metropolitan Area.

(b) Background and Necessity
Despite a high demand for the transportation of goods whose final destination is not inside Delhi, there are inadequate loop roads on the outskirts of the city. Large trucks and other freight vehicles therefore pour into Delhi, causing traffic congestion and environmental problems such as noise and air pollution, and the number of traffic accidents and other problems are on the rise. Although the National Highways Authority of India is advancing the construction of loop roads and other measures, including road widening projects, due to the high population concentration and restrictions on available land, such traffic and environmental problems will not likely be solved with merely the construction of roads. It is therefore necessary to increase the traffic efficiency with a greater road capacity through the use of an ITS which includes an automatic toll collection system to shorten toll booth lines, and a traffic control system to reduce accidents and shorten the time for handling accidents when they occur.

(c) Executing Agency
National Highways Authority of India
Address: G-5&6, Sector-10, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110075, India
Phone: +91-11-2507-4100/2507-4200, fax: +91-11-2507-6507

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: April 2019 – when the facilities are put into service
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: ITS
Planned release date: April 2017

(4)Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will rehabilitate deteriorating irrigation facilities and provide agricultural technical support based on the needs of domestic market with consideration for participation of both male and female farmers to improve water use efficiency and agricultural productivity, thereby improving farmers’ livelihoods and promoting gender mainstreaming in the agriculture and irrigation sectors in Rajasthan State.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in Northwest India, Rajasthan State (population: 68.55 million people) is poor in water resources, receiving only about half the rainfall (about 580 millimeters as a 100-year average, and as low as 320 millimeters in the arid region near the Thar Desert in the west part of Rajasthan) as the national average. There are currently more than 3,900 irrigation facilities for agricultural production installed in the state for efficient utilization of these limited water resources. However, many of those facilities have seepage and deterioration problems due to aging infrastructure and improper maintenance and management.

In rural areas of Rajasthan, not only men but women also play pivotal roles in performing agricultural work and maintaining irrigation facilities. Nevertheless, there are barriers to female farmers participating in training for the improvement of agricultural techniques and skills in maintaining irrigation facilities, and barriers also exist against female farmers taking part in the decision-making processes of water user associations.

It is therefore necessary to improve water use efficiency and agricultural productivity through the rehabilitation of existing irrigation facilities to improve water distribution, strengthen skills for the operation and maintenance of irrigation facilities, and provide agricultural technical support, while encouraging female farmers to participate in training and water user association activities.

(c) Executing Agency
Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan
Address: Secretariat, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302005, India
Phone: +91-14-1222-7459, fax: +91-14-1222-7459

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2025 – with completion of all project activities
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Domestic procurement is scheduled but international competitive bidding for procurement is not planned for this project.

(5)Chennai Metro Project (V)
(a)Objective and Summary
The project will construct a mass rapid transit system in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, in Tamil Nadu State, in South India to meet the rising demand for transportation, thereby contributing to local economic development and an improved urban environment through mitigating traffic congestion and reducing air pollution, noise and the like.

(b)Background and Necessity
With 8.7 million people (2011), the Chennai Metropolitan Area is the fourth most populous metropolitan area after Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, and is the political and economic core for South India. Although Indian Railways operates Chennai Suburban Railway, which connects the city center of Chennai and the suburbs, and Chennai Metro, which serves Chennai and the surrounding areas, there is a continued reliance on roads for transportation because the transportation network was not formed to meet transportation needs and is inconvenient for travel within the city. Moreover, there has been rapid growth in the number of registered vehicles with the rising population and income in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, which, combined with a rapid dispersion and expansion of commercial and industrial districts, has resulted in severe traffic congestion, bringing the average driving speed within the city to a mere 17 kilometers per hour. As with other large cities in India, the economic loss caused by such congestion and the air and noise pollution caused by automobiles have become problems. As the population and the number of vehicles are expected to continue to increase with economic growth, providing a mass rapid transit system capable of meeting the transportation needs and reducing pollution is a priority.

(c)Executing Agency
Chennai Metro Rail Limited
Address: Poonamallee High Road, Koyambedu, Chennai, 600107, India
Phone: +91-44-2379-2149, fax: +91-44-2379-2200

(d)Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2020 – when all of the facilities are put into service
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): Consultants have already been hired
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Already contracted

(6)Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (Phase 2)
(a) Objective and Summary
The project will enhance the forest ecosystem along with sustainable livelihood of local people by improving sustainable forest management, sustainable biodiversity conservation and community development, thereby contributing to harmonization between environmental conservation and socio-economic development in the project area in Odisha.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in East India, Odisha (population: 42 million people as of 2011) is a state with abundant forests that cover more than 50,000 square kilometers in area, 32.3 percent (2015) of the total land area in the state. Approximately 40 percent of the forest area is an open forest area [1] with sparse trees due to excess cutting, and the deteriorating quality of the forests is a challenge. An additional issue is that the poverty rate of Odisha is 32 percent (2011), greatly higher than the national rate of 22 percent (2011).

Taking these circumstances into account, JICA implemented the Orissa Forestry Sector Development Project (2006–2015) [2], which was funded with a Japanese ODA loan and which adopted a joint forest management approach that brought the government and residents together to manage forests. Focused primarily on the Joint Forest Management Committee, the project supported activities such as afforestation and livelihood improvements, and, as a result, sustainable improvements in forest resource use have been confirmed in the project target area. Nevertheless, a large portion of the forest composition remains woodlands, and the poverty among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes that reside primarily in forest areas remains severe. A continued approach to these challenges is needed.

1:An open forest is defined as having a canopy density of branches and leaves to the covered ground when viewed from above of at least 10 percent and less than 40 percent.
2:When the project began in 2006, the name of the state was Orissa, but it was changed to Odisha in 2011.

(c) Executing Agencies
Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha
Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society
Address: SFTRI, Campus, At/P.O. Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751003, India
Phone: +91-67-4238-6084, fax: +91-67-4238-6085
Note: contact the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society as noted above for inquiries about this project.

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2027 – with completion of all activities
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project management): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

(7) Nagaland Forest Management Project

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will restore forests in the lands under shifting cultivation in Nagaland in Northeast India, and provide livelihoods means other than shifting cultivation for local residents to contribute to sustainable forest environment conservation and improved livelihoods of local residents.

(b) Background and Necessity
Nagaland, a state in Northeast India, has abundant forest resources covering more than 78.1 percent (2015) of the land area, and more than 70 percent of the population (1.98 million people) live in rural villages, leading lives dependant on agriculture and forest resources. In particular, lands that have been traditionally cultivated by shifting cultivation in the state are the primary form of agriculture, providing more than 60 percent of the food for the state.

Although the shifting cultivation conventionally left forestland fallow for 10 to 12 years, allowing the land to retain its fertility and its water, a drop in the volume of cultivated land due to a decrease in the agricultural working population in recent years combined with over cultivation making up for lowered crop productivity and other factors have shortened the fallow period, causing a drop in the fertility and water retention on agricultural land. This has resulted in a vicious cycle in which crop productivity drops and the scale of the swidden agriculture must then be increased as new farmland is sought, making forest conservation and ensuring a livelihood means other than swidden agriculture challenges.

(c) Executing Agency
Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Nagaland
Address: Upper Forest Colony, Kohima, Nagaland, 797001, India
Phone: +91-37-0224-4227, fax: +91-37-0224-4227

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: March 2027 – with completion of all activities
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project management): April 2017
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

(8) Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program (Phase 2)

(a) Objective and Summary
The program will advance private investment, encourage the improvement of policies and systems for promoting industry and advance the quick realization of infrastructure, including roads, power and water services in Tamil Nadu in Southeast India. These initiatives will improve the investment environment in the state, contributing to increased foreign direct investment there.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in the southeastern part of India, Tamil Nadu is on the sea lane to Southeast Asia, and due to the state’s abundant labor force and coherent policies for attracting foreign capital, the number of Japanese and other foreign companies expanding to Tamil Nadu has been on the increase, particularly in the two-wheel and four-wheel vehicle industries. As the state is a target area for the Chennai Bangalore Industrial Corridor (an industrial cluster region conceived and planned by the Governments of Japan and India for general regional development through public-private cooperation) and a key area for industrial revitalization, there is a demand for investment environment improvements. 

The State Government of Tamil Nadu is not only aggressively advancing investment enticements but also policies for improving the in-state investment environment. For infrastructure, 1.35 trillion rupees (approximately 10 percent of the state’s gross domestic product) has been allocated, and various policies are being planned and implemented toward the utilization of private funds, including the establishment of an investment fund.

The latest business environment ranking (2016) from the Government of India places Tamil Nadu only in the middle of the country’s states, and further improving the investment environment in terms of organization and infrastructure is a priority.

The program is positioned to further improve the investment environment and infrastructure developed through the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program, funded by a Japanese ODA loan completed in March 2016, and it is expected that with these measures the efforts toward a better investment environment by the government of Tamil Nadu will move a step forward.

(c) Executing Agency
Finance Department, Government of Tamil Nadu
Address: Secretariat, Chennai, 600009, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone: + 91-44-2566-5566

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: June 2019 – with completion of the loan disbursement
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project supervision): No hiring of consultants is planned for this project.
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

Source:JICA

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Saturday, 18 February 2017

08:37

German Bank to Sanction ₹2,500 Crore for Amaravati Metro Rail

German Bank to Sanction ₹2,500 Crore for Amaravati Metro Rail

A.P. Government to begin work on the project soon, says Minister for Municipal Administration, Govt.of AP.

VIJAYAWADA: German bank KfW has agreed to sanction a loan of ₹ 2,500 crore for the much-publicised metro rail project in the city. With this, the State government is contemplating starting the work shortly.

The government proposes to construct two corridors with a length of 26 km. While one corridor will come up covering 12.5 km, the other will cover 13.5 km.

Phase-I by 2018

Another metro project, which was planned for Visakhapatnam, would be taken up on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The government is proposing to construct two corridors in Visakhapatnam. The other two corridors are from Gurudwara to the Old Post Office and Tatichetlapalem to Park Hotel. The Visakhapatnam project is envisaged for completion by 2019.

Municipal Administration Minister P.Narayana on Thursday said the the government was planning to complete the phase-I in Vijayawada before 2018.

After opting out of the proposal to approach the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for loan, the State government is heavily banking on funding by the German and French development banks KfW and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) to put the Metro project on track.

The government is expecting a loan of ₹4,000 crore from these banks, which have in-principle approved the loan. They are yet to work out individual contributions.

The Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) held talks with various external funding agencies, including the European Investment Bank, World Bank and Asian agencies. The government also explored the ‘green route’ and planned to tap funds through the Climate Bonds Initiative, a U.K.-based non-profitable organisation.

The government opted out of JICA loan as it made clear that the soft loan would be ‘tied’ loan and insisted that 30 per cent of the loan component must be utilised for procurement of the rolling stock from Japan.

Logos invited

The Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation Limited (AMRCL) has invited logos for the prestigious project, to be submitted by February 20.

In a press release, AMRCL Managing Director N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy said there were about 165 metro rail and 450 light metro rail projects in the world and each one of them had its logo.

The logo for Amaravati should depict the Sunrise State, a train, tracks, water and greenery and local cultural traits / icons reflecting Amaravati history.

The best design will be awarded Rs.50000 and the second best design Rs.30000 and the third one Rs.20000. No prize money will be given for other contenders.

The art work/graphic designs can be submitted as hard copies, or soft copies through e-mail info@amrc.co.in

Details of AMRC can be seen on the website http://www.amrc.co.in

 Source:RailNews
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Sunday, 21 August 2016

08:56

Railways to send 400 Officers to Japan to train in Bullet Train tech

Railways to send 400 Officers to Japan to train in Bullet Train tech

New Delhi: With country’s first bullet train project scheduled for commissioning in 2023, Indian Railways plans to send 400 of its employees to Japan for training in engineering, operational and safety aspects related to the project.
These officials from various railway zones having expertise in different areas will be trained at the expense of Japanese government. The first section of the bullet train between Mumbai-Ahemdabad is being constructed in collaboration with Japan, which has offered an assistance of over Rs 79,000 crores for a period of 50 years.

“It is a completely new technology and we need to train our officials in various aspects so that we have manpower having knowledge of its process and engineering,” said a railway ministry official, adding this will be the highest number of officers being send by railways overseas for training.

Railway is expected to close loan negotiations with Japan by end of this year and work is expected to begin in 2018 to ensure its commissioning in time by 2023. The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 97,636 crores and to be implemented in a period of seven years.

“There are lot of work that needs to be done like we have to develop our own standards for high speed rail network and those needs to be vetted. We should also have a regulatory framework for the whole system. These are being jointly worked upon,” the official added.

It has been agreed upon to adopt Shinkansen Technology for Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR Project. The cooperation of Japan on this project will also be fixed on transfer of technology and ‘Make in India’.

Railway has formed a National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV), with a paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore for the project. Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the SPV and Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 percent each, while the Railways will have 50 per cent in the SPV.

A final feasibility report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) suggested that fare of the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad may be somewhere around one and half times more than the fare of the first AC of Rajdhani Express and it would be around Rs 2,800.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in parliament had said that the fare of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail network will be affordable to people and less than the airfare between the two cities.
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Thursday, 18 August 2016

16:28

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan.

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan.

New Delhi: Railways is contemplating to renegotiate loan condition with Japan for procuring high horse power electric locomotives for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) as the procurement award is stuck over the pricing front.

Railways’ ambitious plan to acquire 9000 high horse-power (HP) locomotives from Japan for hauling double stack containers on the Western DFC has come to a dead end with no further progress for more than last seven months.

Railways has found the price of Rs 50 crore per locomotive quoted by Kawasaki-led Japanese consortium too high and sought its reduction by almost half.

While the Japanese consortium has not reduced the price as desired by Railways, there was no further movement since January, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

“Since we will be getting the 12,000 HP locomotive at Rs 25 crore from our upcoming Madhepura plant, the price offered by the Japanese consortium is not acceptable,” the official said.

Western DFC is entirely funded by JICA loan and as per the loan condition Railways has to procure locomotives from Japan.

As a way forward, Railways is contemplating to renegotiate the loan condition so that it can go for international bidding.

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan. The loco contract is estimated to be about Rs 4500 crore and the first batch of locomotives is expected to arrive two years after awarding of the contract.

The Japanese consortium comprising five companies including Kawasaki, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Corporate had submitted their bids in October last year for procurement of the 9000 HP locomotives for WDFC.

As per the agreement, 40 modern locomotives with 9000 HP and IGBT technology will be imported from Japan, 60 will be assembled at the Railways’ Dankuni facility and the rest 100 will be manufactured at Dankuni.

The high-power locomotives will be used to haul double-stack containers on WDFC.

WDFC will cover around 1,534 kms from Dadri to Mumbai, passing through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.


Source:RailNews 
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Thursday, 10 March 2016

07:30

Patna Metro Rail project sent to Centre for its clearance

Patna Metro Rail project sent to Centre for its clearance

Patna: The process of implementing Patna metro rail project has taken off with an estimated total cost of Rs 16960 crore, the 16.9 km stretch of Patna metro project would be made jointly by the various financial institutions including Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Central government assistance.
Bihar government will invest 6544 crore, take equity loan of Rs 7812 crore from JICA/ADB, and rest amount from Centre, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) corporation to be formed after getting clearance from Centre.

The principal secretary urban development and housing department Amrit Lal Meena told on Monday the proposal to this effect has already been sent to the Centre for its approval. “Once it gets approved we will have to raise equity loan from various financial institutions”, Meena told.

Last month The Nitish Kumar government approved the Metro Rail Project in Patna. A budget of Rs 16,960 crore (including all taxes) has been allocated for the project which will see Metro services resuming in the city from 2021. The metro network will have 14 stations initially and will run from Saguna More to Patna Junction.

The Bihar government started working on the project from 2011, and an initial draft was prepared in 2013. The state government had then asked Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) to prepare a feasibility report.

According to the plan, the Metro services in Patna will be rolled out in three phases. In the first phase work will be completed in the east-west and north-south corridors. The metro will run on two routes under the PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode.

The population of Patna metropolitan is currently 20.32 lakh as per census 2011 and is expected to go up by 36.3 lakh in 2031. With the implementation of project, it would be easier for the daily commuter to move in the city . At present Patna road is spread over in 1500 km road network in which most of them fall in urban areas.

According to RITES project, out of the total 8.3 lakh registered vehicle in the city in which 68% are two wheelers.

In the first phase the Patna metro rail project network would be in 16.9 km area in which 9.625 km would be on elevated portion and 4.575 km would be underground. It will have total 14 station in which 4 would be on elevated portion and 9 on underground. The remaining one would be on the ground level.

Patna will be the seventh Indian city to have the metro after Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Jaipur and Chennai.

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Monday, 7 March 2016

18:38

JICA extends Rs.4,870 Crore Loan for Ahmedabad Metro Rail project

JICA extends Rs.4,870 Crore Loan for Ahmedabad Metro Rail project

Ahmedabad: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today inked a pact with the Centre to provide 82.434 billion yen (about ₹4,870 crore) assistance for Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project.

With this pact, the cumulative loan amount provided by JICA for metro projects in India (including Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai Metro’s) has exceeded 1 trillion yen (approximately ₹59,071 crore).

“JICA today signed an agreement with the Government of India to provide 82.434 billion Japanese Yen Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for the development of the metro rail system in Ahmedabad, Gujarat,” a JICA statement said.

It said the ODA loan’s conditions are very concessional, 1.4 per cent of interest rate and 30 years of repayment period (including 10 years grace period).

The assistance from JICA will facilitate construction of underground and elevated rail tracks, electrical, telecom and signalling systems and procurement of the trains, it said.

India is JICA’s largest partner in the world.

The latest agreement was signed between Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office and S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

“The project will provide the 1st Metro Rail System network of approx 38 km in Ahmedabad from Motera Stadium to APMC (North-South Corridor) and Thaltej to Vastral Gaam (East-West Corridor),” the statement said.

It will cover the central business district area, academic area, residential area and institutional complex area of Ahmedabad Metropolitan Area. Development of metro in Ahmedabad will be a typical example of high quality infrastructure, it added.

The Executing agency for the project is Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd (MEGA). The complete commercial operation is expected to start from 2020.

JICA India Chief representative Sakamoto said: “Ahmedabad is the fifth most populated city in India. This loan will help develop mass rapid transit system in the Ahmedabad metropolitan area.

“This project will meet the growing traffic demands, leading to modal shift from road traffic to public transportation system and will eventually lead to balanced regional development and improvement of environmental conditions,” he said.

The technology being implemented for metro will include the advanced singling system, Communication Based Train Control (CBTC), in order to achieve high level of safety enforcement and reliability of the Project.

Source:RailNews 
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Wednesday, 2 March 2016

21:31

JICA keen to support six more metro projects in India

JICA keen to support six more metro projects in India

The total debt component of these projects is Rs 38,703 crore

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has provided loans for metro rail projects in the country, has shown "keen interest" in supporting six more such projects whose total debt component stands at over Rs 38,700 crore.

Hideaki Domichi, senior vice-president of JICA, today met Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and held detailed discussions in this regard.

He enquired about the progress of the six projects – Delhi Metro Phase-IV, Pune Metro, Vijayawada Metro, Chennai Metro Phase-II, Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro and Kozhikode Light Metro Projects – which are under consideration for approval, an official release said.

The funding pattern for the government-funded metro projects entails a debt component of 50-60% with most of it coming through sovereign bilateral and multi-lateral development agencies.

The debt component for Delhi Metro Phase-IV is Rs 29,160 crore, while that of Pune is Rs 4,665 crore and Vijayawada Rs 3,600 crore. Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro has a debt component of Rs 805 crore and Kozhikode Light Metro Rs 473 crore.

The total debt component of these projects is Rs 38,703 crore.

JICA had earlier sanctioned loans of Rs 57,363 crore for Delhi Metro (3 phases), Bengaluru Metro, Chennai Metro and Mumbai Metro Line-3 projects.

Under the new modified Special Terms for Economic Partnership with Japan, JICA loan comes at an interest rate of 0.30% as against 1.30% on earlier loans.

The tenure of the loan will be 40 years as compared to 30 years for a normal JICA loan. One of the conditions is that 30% of procurement for the projects has to be from Japan.

Meanwhile, Domichi also discussed implementation of water supply and underground drainage project in Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) and Bengaluru's Peripheral Ring Road Project, the release said.

Naidu has urged JICA to speed up the Nellore project for which agreement of preparatory survey has been finalized with Andhra Pradesh government.

About the Bengaluru project, the minister assured Domichi that he would talk to Karnataka government and elicit its views on it. The loan assurance for the project was given during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister to India in December last year.

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