PM Gatishakti NMP can be 'gamechanger' in multi-modal connectivity: Power Ministry

New Delhi [India], July 7 : The PM GatiShakti-National Master Plan (NMP) could be a game-changer in providing multi-modal connectivity of infrastructures to various economic zones by leveraging technology extensively including spatial planning tools, said the Ministry of Power in an official release on Thursday.
PM GatiShakti-National Master Plan (NMP) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for infrastructure development in October 2021. It was intended to bring different Ministries/ Utilities and infrastructure planning under a single unified vision, across all sectors such as Highways, Railways, Aviation, Gas, Power Transmission, Renewable Energy etc.
"Such an unprecedented initiative outlines the vision for infrastructure development across the country including 'Power' in general and 'Transmission' in particular, which strengthens the energy lifeline of the country," the Power Ministry said.
Calling it a "game-changer", the ministry said that it would provide multi-modal connectivity of infrastructures to various economic zones by leveraging technology extensively including the spatial planning tools with indigenous ISRO imagery developed by BISAG-N, Gujarat for fulfilling the objective of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
"As the country takes strides towards strengthening its infrastructure, power plays a pivotal role in the development of infrastructure and the economy. The PM GatiShakti NMP portal provides 'One-click Comprehensive view' to steer and simplify the planning and implementation process by reducing the time and cost of implementation in Power transmission projects," the ministry said adding that it would also aid in improving logistics efficiency through the single digital platform and a multi-modal portal.
"In the development of Power Transmission projects, PM GatiShakti NMP portal shall play a critical role in Planning, Tendering, Implementation and Approval stages. At the planning stage, the user shall identify the tentative line length of the planned transmission line and the location of the substation(s)," the Ministry added.
It further said that under the tendering/bidding stage, the survey agency will utilize the portal for identifying the best techno-economical route.
During the stage of Implementation, based on the actual conditions, finalisation of the transmission line route and location of the substation shall be done. Lastly, the Approval stage is envisaged for a single-window clearance, it said.
According to the Power Ministry, "PM's call for One Sun, One World, One Grid has set the tone for a strong and reliable transmission system which will support India's Renewable Energy (RE) ambitions and supplement the growth of renewables globally."
Power transmission has been an enabler in the RE story and various key Power projects are enabling RE evacuation across the country. Of these projects, the Ministry has undertaken nine High Impact Power projects (10 number of transmission lines) spanning over 6 Renewable Energy-rich States viz. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
"The requisite details of projects have been mapped in the portal, by creating a separate layer of Interstate Transmission System (ISTS) transmission lines incorporating basic data (like Line route, tower location, location of substation, name of owner etc)," it said.
In line with the goals of PM GatiShakti, entire "existing" ISTS lines have been mapped on the portal spanning the length and breadth of the country. Also, 90 per cent of 'under construction' ISTS lines have also been integrated in the portal and the remaining 10 per cent of ISTS lines are yet to be integrated after the finalization of the route survey by the respective Transmission Service Providers.
The Ministry, however, ensured that PM GatiShakti NMP portal will ultimately aid in solving problems of development of infrastructures in the country by building a secure, sustainable, scalable and collaborative approach toward infrastructure planning for seamless connectivity to the economic zones.
"Now, with PM GatiShakti NMP portal and the onset of a more holistic and comprehensive approach towards planning for Ministries, Utilities and Infrastructure, we as a nation are well poised to take a giant stride towards evolving into 5 trillion dollars economy while enabling reliable Power to All," it said.