UPCOMING PROJECTS : FUTURE PERFECT
THE TIMES OF INDIA
NEW DELHI/NOIDA PLUS 29 September
Here’s a look at some of the upcoming landmark projects in the region. If things go as per plan, Greater Noida could find a permanent place in the textbooks of business schools across the world
Akash Vashistha
Greater Noida has emerged as the happening place in the National Capital Region in terms of industrial and infrastructural development.
Exposition Mart
Away from the congested and traffic hit Pragati Maidan area, the India Exposition Mart at the Noida-Greater Expressway serves as the perfect exhibition ground for displaying Indian cottage industry products and attracting foreign buyers to the country. This is the country’s first state-of-the-art Exposition Mart for cottage and handicrafts sector, set up by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), Ministry of Textiles. The Mart is built and operated on the pattern of Shanghai Mart and other international marts. The entire Exposition Mart holds exhibitions round the year. Spread over 2,35,000 sq. metres, the India Expo Mart matches international standards. The complex has about 1800 marts of 24 sq. met. in the present two phases of its project and four giant exhibition halls to provide event based space to the exhibition halls. The entire building is centrally air-conditioned.
Taj Expressway
To link industrial development and tourism - the two most important pillars of the country’s economy, the Taj Expressway aims to connect Greater Noida with Agra. The 160 km Taj Expressway would provide direct access to the Taj Economic Zone, International Airport and Aviation Hub proposed to be constructed along the Taj Expressway. The expressway also intends to ease the heavy traffic on Delhi-Agra NH-2. It was conceived to reduce the travel time between the two cities. The world famous heritage monument - Taj Mahal -- is said to be merely 100 minutes from the Taj International Airport near Greater Noida through this Expressway. The Taj Expressway is an extension of the six-lane Expressway from Noida to Greater Noida up to Agra. According to GNIDA officials, work on the Taj Expressway is likely to resume early.
Taj International Airport
The long standing proposal of an international airport is waiting to see the light of the day. The airport will provide much needed relief from the high air traffic zone - New Delhi airport. Encashing on the current aviation boom in the country, the airport would facilitate tourism, cargo, aviation and non-aviation facilities. The airport will be directly connected to the Taj Expressway, which has access for New Delhi via DND Flyway and Greater Noida Expressway.
Socio-cultural centre
The GNIDA is said to have approved and allotted 20 acres of land to Caparo Group Limited for setting up a unique socio-cultural centre in Greater Noida. The centre would provide an opportunity for organisations, business executives, academicians and professionals in the field of business, marketing, PR, HRD and general management for an informal interaction. It would promote cultural, social academic and business related programmes, such as exhibitions, lectures fairs etc. for exchange of ideas and fostering of human relationship.
Integrated transport hub
GNIDA intends to develop an integrated transportation hub in the city on nearly 600 acres land. The proposed transport hub is also said to provide bus and train services. The hub will also have ISBT and a railway station. Passenger traffic originating in the east and destined for hill stations in the north, will also use this station as a drop off point. GNIDA has identified the existing Boraki Railway Station along the Delhi-Kolkata northern railway line for the integrated transportation hub.
Night safari
Greater Noida presently may be an industrial destination, but it would also be a big tourist destination in the time to come. The Night Safari would create awareness among people about environment and ecology. It would be a source for recreation to residents and boost tourism in Greater Noida. The Night Safari is being developed on the lines of open zoological gardens already established in China and Singapore. Visitors can see the animals at night in the open backwoods.
However, these animals would be confined within specified areas. The safari would be adequately illuminated for night conditions. According to Harish Kumar Verma, DCEO-GNIDA, the report of the night safari has already been prepared and submitted to the GNIDA chairman.
Bird habitat
Intending to promote tourism in the state, the forest department has plans to create a bird sanctuary in Greater Noida. The sanctuary named ’Greater Noida Bird Habitat’ would be built on the lowland, natural water body — Surajpur Jheel — and is said to be one the largest bird sanctuaries of the country. The forest department, which has already started implementing the project, will treat and develop 330 hectares bird habitat on the lake area measuring 108 hectares. This includes plantation and beautification work in and around the lake area, which comes under the reserve forest area. The habitat would be developed for migratory and local birds, which would be provided protection and a safe habitat. The sanctuary believed to be the second largest after the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary aims at giving boost to eco-tourism in the country, especially the NCR. The sanctuary will provide a safe habitat to more than 60 species of rare and migratory birds including the Little Egert, Night Heron, Indian Reef Heron, Painted Stork, Openbill Stork, Whitenecked Stork, etc.
 |
|
|
