Developing Wayside Amenities Along National Highways: Some WSAs To Also Have Helipads, Drone Landing Facilities For Emergencies

Helipads and drone landing facilities will come up at wayside amenities (WSA) along the national highways to deal with medical emergency situations like road accidents and organ transplantation.

Improving the highway network, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is developing world class wayside amenities (WSA) at more than 600 locations along the National Highways.

Apart from basic facilities like good toilets, parking and restaurants, these WSAs will also have dormitories for truck drivers, EV charging facilities, convention centers, trauma centers and retail shops for promoting handicrafts and locally manufactured products, said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Delivering a speech at a session on PM Gati Shakti during 'India Calling Conference 2023' organised by the Indian Merchants Chamber in Mumbai, Gadkari said some WSAs will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to deal with medical emergency situations.

Gadkari further said, “PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is a very big initiative and it will help us reduce logistics costs. Logistics cost in India is higher at 13 per cent to 14 per cent of GDP compared to 8 per cent to 9 per cent of GDP in other developed economies such as the USA. Higher logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of ‘Made in India’ products in global markets. Reducing logistics costs to 9 per cent of GDP is at the top of Government’s agenda."

Delivering his address, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that  India is forging ahead with a speed never seen before.

Sonowal added that under PM Gati Shakti NMP, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has identified 101 projects worth Rs  62,227 crore for implementation by 2025.

Out of these 101 projects, 26 projects worth Rs 8,897 crore have been completed, 42 projects amounting to Rs 15,343 crore are under development and 33 projects worth Rs 36,638 crore are under implementation. Out of the projects under implementation, 14 projects worth Rs 20,537 crore are expected to be completed by December 2023.

The Minister added that of 101 Gati Shakti projects, 12 projects amounting Rs 9867 crore are being executed in the State of Maharashtra, out of which three Projects amounting to Rs 3,165 crore have been completed. Two projects amounting to Rs 675 crore are under development while rest seven projects amounting to Rs 6,027 cr are under implementation and expected to be completed till 2025.

Explaining the progress made under Sagarmala Project Sonowal said that currently, there are 802 projects worth investment of Rs 5.4 lakh crore for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme by 2035.  

228 projects worth Rs 1,21,545 crore have been completed and 260 projects worth Rs 2.36 lakh crore are under implementation.

Further, 314 projects worth Rs 2.11 lakh crore are under various stages of development.