12 Mar 2026

The Maharashtra government has assured the state assembly that the long-delayed Patra Chawl redevelopment project in Goregaon will be completed and houses will be handed over to eligible residents. The 47-acre project, which involves rehabilitation of 672 tenant families, has remained stalled for nearly 18 years due to redevelopment delays, investigations and legal disputes. Legislators raised concerns over incomplete work and residents' protests. The government stated that documentation related to the project has been processed and meetings will be held with stakeholders to resolve pending issues. Authorities will also examine complaints regarding construction quality before handing over flats.Read more

12 Mar 2026

The expansion of 15-coach suburban train services on Mumbai�s Central Railway network has progressed slowly, with platform extension work completed at only five of the 34 identified stations. The project is aimed at enabling longer trains on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus�Kalyan, Kasara and Khopoli routes to increase passenger capacity and reduce overcrowding. Infrastructure upgrades such as platform lengthening, signalling adjustments and electrical modifications are required before these services can operate widely. Railway officials indicated that once the remaining work is completed, more 15-coach trains will be introduced to improve commuter capacity on the busy corridor.Read more

Patna News Desk

12 Mar 2026

Construction activity has commenced on the Patna Water Metro project with the development of the first electric ferry charging station at Gandhi Ghat along the Ganga riverfront. The facility will support battery-powered vessels planned for the project's initial 10.5 km corridor connecting Digha Ghat and Kangan Ghat through several intermediate riverfront stops. The urban water transport initiative, estimated to cost about INR 908 crore, is being implemented jointly by the Inland Waterways Authority of India and the Bihar government with technical support from Cochin Shipyard. Charging infrastructure at Gandhi Ghat will form a key operational node for electric ferries, with additional charging facilities planned at other terminals as the corridor develops. Authorities expect the system to introduce an alternative mode of commuting across Patna's riverfront while supporting cleaner mobility and reducing pressure on congested road corridors in the city.Read more

12 Mar 2026

An artificial intelligence-based elephant intrusion detection system planned for the Palakkad–Madukkarai railway stretch on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border has been delayed despite most installation work being completed. The system, intended to detect elephant movement near railway tracks and alert train crews in real time, was originally scheduled for commissioning by December 2024. Railway officials have indicated that additional trials and certification procedures are required before the technology can be operationalised. The corridor passes through forested terrain known for frequent elephant crossings and forms a key rail link between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, carrying a large number of passenger and freight services daily. Until the system becomes operational, railways and forest authorities continue to rely on precautionary measures such as speed restrictions, solar fencing, warning signboards and manual patrols to reduce the risk of train–elephant collisions.Read more

12 Mar 2026

Torrent Power has raised INR 2,000 crore through the issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on a private placement basis, according to a regulatory filing. The company issued 2,00,000 debentures with a face value of INR 1 lakh each. These debentures are secured, rated, listed, taxable, non-cumulative, redeemable, and non-convertible, carrying a coupon rate of 7.97 per cent per annum. Fundraising through NCDs is commonly used by companies to strengthen liquidity and support expansion plans. Torrent Power has previously used similar debt instruments to finance its power generation, transmission, and distribution projects.Read more

Lucknow News Desk

12 Mar 2026

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has allotted 549 developed residential plots to farmers and landowners who contributed land under the land pooling policy for the IT City project along Sultanpur Road in Lucknow. The allotment was conducted through a lottery draw held earlier this week at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. The plots, located across sectors 15, 16, 17, 18 and 30 of the planned township, were distributed in six size categories ranging from 35 sq m to 288 sq m. Around 350 landowners had pooled approximately 550 acres of land for the project, which is being developed over about 3,490 acres across villages in Mohanlalganj tehsil. The allotment forms part of the authority's strategy to compensate farmers with developed plots while assembling land for the integrated IT City township.Read more

Delhi News Desk

12 Mar 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure and urban development projects worth around INR 33,500 crore in Delhi in the past week, combining metro network expansion with large-scale government housing redevelopment. The initiative includes the launch of two Delhi Metro corridors — the 12.3 km Majlis Park-Maujpur Babarpur stretch on the Pink Line and the 9.9 km Deepali Chowk–Majlis Park corridor on the Magenta Line — aimed at improving connectivity in north and north-east parts of the capital. In addition, the government initiated redevelopment works under the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) programme valued at about INR 15,200 crore, covering housing and office infrastructure in key government colonies. The projects form part of broader efforts to expand urban mobility and modernise central government housing assets across the national capital.Read more

12 Mar 2026

The National Highways Authority of India has released the first National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) report for 2025-26, providing a satellite-based measurement of vegetation along India's highways. Using data from ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre, the study assessed around 30,000 km of highways across 24 states for the July-December 2024 period, estimating green cover within the Right of Way. The report ranks states on green cover, with Assam, Gujarat, Telangana, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu leading, and Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir at the lower end. It sets a baseline for future monitoring.Read more

11 Mar 2026

The Karnataka revenue department has initiated a statewide digitisation programme aimed at making land survey services fully online by 2026, enabling citizens to apply for surveys, access land sketches and obtain boundary information without visiting government offices. The initiative is being implemented through the Survey, Settlement and Land Records (SSLR) wing and forms part of broader reforms to modernise land administration and improve transparency in property records. Under the plan, historical survey documents and physical land measurement records will be digitised and converted into geospatial maps, while each property will receive a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN). The digital system will integrate survey data with other land-related databases across departments, including urban development and panchayat authorities, with the aim of reducing disputes, improving service delivery and enabling more accurate land-use monitoring across the state.Read more

11 Mar 2026

Indian Railways has proposed significant changes to its decade-old public-private partnership (PPP) policy to attract greater private investment in railway infrastructure projects. The revised framework proposes extending concession periods for private developers to up to 50 years and shifting full responsibility for land acquisition and associated costs to the railways. The policy revision follows limited private sector participation under the existing PPP framework, where project risks such as land acquisition delays and uncertain revenue recovery discouraged investment. Officials said the reforms aim to improve project viability and provide long-term revenue certainty for investors. The changes are expected to support upcoming railway infrastructure initiatives, including freight corridors and new rail lines planned under national infrastructure expansion programmes. The Ministry of Railways is currently evaluating the proposed amendments before finalising the revised PPP framework.Read more