First Anniversary - Hubli Dharwad Ahead?

Dear Friends,

Its been one year today since I started writing on this blog. Its been good so far, although a lot remains to be achieved. As the title of this blog says 'HUBLI - DHARWAD AHEAD', the ultimate aim of this blog was and will remain the same.

Elections in Karnataka have just concluded today and the results shall be out in a couple of days. We hope that the next government ensures the overall development of the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad.

Some projects related to the cities have always been close to my heart. I have listed below ten projects which I feel are the most important ones. We can always add on to this list, once these are through!!!

1. Hubli Airport Expansion: This project has been on the papers for quite a long time now. The proposed expansion requires 712 acres of land as per the master plan of Airports Authority of India (AAI). As of today, the land acquisition process is being finalised.

2. Dharwad Circuit Bench of the Karnataka High Court: This project is under implementation and going by media reports it seems it is in the final stages of completion. And the circuit bench might start functioning by end of July 2008, if all goes well.


3. Hubli Railway Station Expansion: This project is under implementation. When I last visited the railway station in the month of April 2008, I could see two more platforms being constructed. Hopefully, the construction work is completed at the earliest and we expect that new trains are started soon.

4. Hubli - Dharwad Expressway: The road between Hubli and Dharwad (starting from the Corporation Offices in Hubli to the Corporation Offices in Dharwad, approx. 25 KMS) needs to be converted into an expressway with 4 lane roads and service roads. Traffic between the two cities is ever-increasing and its time now to implement this project so as to reduce the travel time for the daily commuters.

5. TATA Motors Bus Plant at Dharwad: This plant should be operational before end of 2008, as per news reports.


6. Aryabhatta Tech Park: The blueprint for this technology park is ready and construction is yet to begin. The park will be spread over an area of 26 acres on the Hubli - Dharwad main road. Lets hope for the early completion of this park. This is vital for the development of IT / ITES companies in the region.

7. Hubli - Ankola Railway Line: This long pending project seems to be going nowhere, with surveys and inspections going on indefinitely. The project is being held up due to environmental concerns as it runs through the Western Ghats. This is a very important project as it connects Hubli to the port towns of Karwar and Mangalore, and shall boost commercial activities in the entire region of North Karnataka.

8. Hubli - Bangalore Rail Line Doubling: Traffic between Hubli - Dharwad and Bangalore has been on the rise. As of today, there are atleast 8 pairs of trains running on this route. This clearly indicates the number of people travelling on this route. The doubling of this line shall greatly help in bringing down the travel time. Its quite possible that with this project being implemented, the travel time between Hubli - Dharwad and Bangalore should be around 5 hours or even less.

9. Tourism and Recreational Projects: We keep hearing many of these projects every now and then. News about Sadhanakeri Lake in Dharwad and Unkal Lake in Hubli being developed into a tourist spot has been in the air for quite a long time. Of late, there have been reports of multiplexes and malls coming up in our cities. Hope for the best.

10. TCS IT SEZ: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had proposed an SEZ at Hubli - Dharwad spread across an area of 50 acres involving an investment of Rs. 120 crores. The same was approved by the then Karnataka government. However, of late there has been no news / updates on this.

The list can go on with many more projects. Wish people responsible for the implementation of these projects are listening and acting.

Wishing Hubli - Dharwad a better future.

Sincerely, for development of Hubli - Dharwad
V
ishal Kumar N Jain.

5 comments:

RM said...

I enjoy reading your blog on recent developments in Hubli-Dharwad area. I was an American Peace Corps Volunteer there in the late 60s.

Nannu hoogbutinni.

Ray Myers

Shaji.k said...

The blog was of great help to me when I had to make a short trip to Hubli for two days from May 28th. I took the Inter-city from Bangalore and agree with you that rail line doubling is urgent as crossings take up a lot of time. I returned from Hubli to bngalore by air and saw the airport. yes, as you suggest, the airport expansion also needs priority. It will be nice if pvt investors come forth to develop the airport for Hubli has all the potential to become a aviation hub. The pre-paid auto service at Hubli railway station was a great help for a stranger like me. I will definitely return to Hubli. It's a sweet city!

Anonymous said...

hi,
why dont you start something like udays blog on belgaum now a website www.allaboutbelgaum.com.....u would be doing a yeomen service to people of hubli dharwad

Deepak said...

Hope to IT SEZ at Hubli-Dharwad to setup early and IT companies move as early as possible to this region.

Deepak said...

Hope to IT SEZ setup early at Hubli-Dharwad, so we(NK) shal move their asap..