Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the first phase of Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway from Delhi to JNPT will be completed this year itself.

"My plan is to connect Nariman Point to Delhi making it a 12-hour journey," Gadkari said.

Speaking about the achievements of the Road and Transport Ministry, the Union Minister said “I was pained to know that around one crore people in the country were driving cycle-rickshaw”.

He added that 80 lakh people among them are driving E-rickshaws today. “400 start-ups in the country are making electric scooters, e-rickshaws etc.”

Sharing details of environment-friendly, recycling initiatives in the country, the Union Minister said that nothing is waste and with the use of appropriate technology, we can convert waste into wealth.

“For last eight years, we have been recycling sewage water from Nagpur and selling it to the Government of Maharashtra for power generation. We are earning Rs 300 crore. annually as royalty.”

He also shared details of similar projects being undertaken in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

Reiterating the significance of green fuels, the Minister said that the Road Transport Ministry has been working on diversification of agriculture towards the energy and power sector since the year 2000.

“We are making green fuels like ethanol from sugarcane which is cost-effective, pollution free and indigenous and hence helps in reducing import of fuels.”

Gadkari inaugurated the Organic Garden at R.D. and S H. National College and S.W.A. Science College in Mumbai on 17 October. The college also released a book on ‘Environment Sustainability Initiatives by R. D. National College’.

Apart from the organic garden, the college also has a water recycling plant, a medicinal garden, and solar panels.

The Union Minister added that “ethics, economy and environment are three important pillars of our society.”

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