Anantapur-Amaravati highway to trigger Seema development

Anantapur: Notification for land acquisition for the proposed 600 km Express Highway from Amaravati to Anantapur and connecting Rayalaseema districts of Kurnool and Kadapa costing Rs 30,000 crore has been released recently and the process for land acquisition is underway, according to Roads and Buildings, National Highways division sources.

The project is taking a concrete shape with the partnership of State and Central governments. Under the project, land acquisition process will soon commence in Kapapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts.

The Collectors of the three districts are members of a committee chaired by the Chief Minister.

R&B Executive Engineer Srinatha told The Hans India that under the scheme of things, 1,017 hectares in Anantapur, 1,713 hectares in Kurnool and 1,108 hectares in Kadapa district is in the process of being acquired.

A total of 8,692 hectares is required for the project. The new government will take a call on the project and take it forward as this is a prestigious project involving development of Rayalaseema districts.

The Express Highway is expected to trigger business and industrial development throughout the Rayalaseema districts.

Already the route survey had been ordered by the State government to minimise travel time and ensure hassle-free ride on the express way to the capital region.

The Anantapur Chamber of Commerce and the multiple fruit exporters in the district described the proposal to connect the capital to Rayalaseema and Anantapur in particular as a welcome step in the right direction.

This step the farmers' organisations and the Chamber of Commerce feel would spur growth and Vijayawada would emerge as the market city for all district businessmen and farmers besides paving the way for industrialisation of Amaravati-Anantapur corridor.

Horticulture Farmers Export Association president Bhaskar Naidu told The Hans India that more than 500 fruit exporters growing grapes, Pomegranates, oranges and vegetables including tomatoes can export their products to Vijayawada and Amaravati region.

As of now Naidu says that their products are being exported to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

"But once the capital is well connected and if Vijayawada emerges as a major market for fruits and vegetables, we will divert our products to the capital region," he adds.

The road project has to be speeded up and no district in the State should be isolated. Road connectivity helps to connect with the main stream of business.

The National High Ways Authority of India has been directed by the Union government to conceptualise development of national highways from Amaravati to Anantapur and other Rayalaseema districts including Kurnool and Kadapa.

This is being done to connect Rayalaseema districts to the State capital and bring administration closer to people.

The straight road from Amaravati to Anantapur is expected to bring down the distance by 100 km and travelling time by 120 minutes, according to local NHAI sources.

It will bring down the existing road distance from Anantapur to Amaravati which is 472 km.

Also the existing road length from Kadapa to Amaravati will be reduced from 370 km to 297 km, and from Kurnool to Amaravati it will come down by 28 km.

NHAI official said that it is the Chief Minister's intention that no district should be kept aloof from the capital or away from development.

The road to Anantapur from Amaravati would trigger development of the district particularly on the industrial and agri-business front with hundreds of farmers organisations destined to play a crucial role in agriculture and horticulture business.

The travel time at the present speed of 60 kmph will be reduced by 120 minutes between Anantapur and Amaravati, from Kadapa to Amaravati 70 minutes and from Kurnool to Amaravati 40 minutes.

The total length of proposed Express Highway from Anantapur to Amaravati is 371.030 km, Kurnool feeder connectivity is 123.7 km and Kadapa feeder connectivity is 104.05 km.

In the total 598.78-km length Expressway, the length of four-lane road is 178 km. Similarly, the length of six-lane road between Anantapur and Amaravati is 193.030 km, according to R&B Superintendent Engineer Y R Subramanyam.

Anantapur Chamber of Commerce president Seshanjaneyulu speaking to The Hans India, welcomed the proposed Expressway between the capital and Anantapur observing that road connectivity ushers in development and promotes trade and commerce on a massive scale.

The cost of civil works for six-lane Express Road project is nearly Rs 9,000 crore and the cost of civil works for four-lane road between Anantapur and Amaravati is Rs 5,500 crore, for Kurnool feeder connectivity Rs 4,000 crore and to Kadapa feeder connectivity is roughly Rs 3,000 crore.

Civil works would cost over Rs 5,000 crore and the total project cost is expected to be around Rs 30,000 crore for nearly 600-km distance.

The Express Highway is designed for a speed of 120 kilometres per hour with straight alignments avoiding habitations and locations of archaeological and religious importance.

Tunnels and viaducts are proposed to be constructed to negotiate hilly terrains and valley sections. The State government has submitted a techno-feasibility report to the Centre as well as detailed project report.