The Andhra Pradesh government, which has been planning to make its upcoming capital city Amaravati pollution free, is considering a ban on diesel vehicles over a period of 10 years.
The proposal has been made in the capital city’s master plan.
The Times of India reported that besides this proposal, the government has also decided to make walkways across 1,620 acres, along with bus rapid transit (BRT). The plans of creating a metro rail network is also being suggested.
“We hope that the capital city will have about three to four lakh population by 2019, as many educational and other institutions will begin their operations by then,” CRDA commissioner Ch Sreedhar told TOI.
Earlier, Andhra Chief Minister Naidu had proposed that only electric buses and vehicles would be permitted in Amaravati, to control pollution.
The government earlier approved the suggestion made by master architect of Amaravati, Foster and Partners, to use only eco-friendly, non-polluting public transport, especially buses.
The architects had also suggested vehicle-free zones, stressing on alternative sustainable methods of transport, provision for electric vehicles, dedicated bicycle and pedestrian routes.
The officials also told reporters that 45% of the construction work had been already completed.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Singapore on Monday, in order to speed up construction of Amaravati.
It was reported that the MoU is expected to create opportunities for Singapore entities to invest in the new capital.
An amount of Rs 33,000 crore is the estimated cost for the infrastructure, which will reportedly be developed in seven to eight years through multiple phases.
“We have completed financial tie-ups for Rs. 15,000 crore with assistance from HUDCO, World Bank and Government of India,’’ Sreedhar told Business Line.
The Centre has already released Rs 1,500 crore for the state’s capital, and is expected to release another Rs 1,000 shortly.