Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Door to prosperity opened for farmers of Western UP, crops will reach Delhi in just two and a half hours

Delhi Dehradun Expressway: The development of any country or state is determined by its strong and strong infrastructure. The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, recently dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not just a modern road, but it is proving to be a new and tight corridor of prosperity for millions of farmers in western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. This magnificent 213 km long economic corridor starts from Akshardham in Delhi and reaches Dehradun directly via Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur. With the commencement of this new route, the travel time between the two cities has reduced from 5 to 6 hours to just two and a half hours. Till now, the farmers of this region, who have been struggling with bad roads, narrow paths and severe traffic jams, are able to deliver their crops in very fresh condition directly to Azadpur Mandi of Delhi without any delay. This huge reduction in travel time is not only reducing their transportation and logistics costs, but is also giving a new and strong impetus to the rural economy. Access to the markets of Delhi-NCR has become very easy. The biggest and direct benefit of this expressway is being given to the rural families dependent on horticulture and cash crops. Earlier, thousands of farmers from Saharanpur, Baghpat, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar were not able to send their green vegetables, fresh fruits and flowers to Delhi due to lack of connectivity at the right time. Every year he had to suffer huge losses worth crores of rupees due to crop failure on the way. Now, due to strong connectivity, the best and selected crops of North India are ready to be sold directly in big markets. For example: Harshil’s famous apples and Purola’s special red rice are now reaching Delhi in a matter of hours. Joshimath’s Rajma and Chakrata’s medicinal Buransh fruit have now become easy to reach in big malls of Delhi-NCR. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also praised this project and said that this economic corridor will directly connect our farmers to big global markets. With this, the role of middlemen in the market will be completely eliminated and the net profit of farmers will increase. Experts believe that due to sharp reduction in logistics cost by 30 to 40%, the savings of farmers will improve to a great extent. Real estate boom: Huge increase in the market value of lands. With the construction of the expressway, land prices in the surrounding areas are witnessing an unprecedented rise. Especially in the 31 villages of Baghpat district through which this corridor is passing, fair and stringent compensation has been given by the administration in lieu of land acquisition, which has significantly strengthened the financial condition of the rural families. Main areas affected: Partial rise in land prices New agro-hubs developing Ghaziabad and Loni border Growth of 15% to 20% Logistics hubs and modern warehouses Rural areas of Baghpat Strong boom of 25% to 30% Cold storage and food processing units Saharanpur and Shamli belt Market price rise of up to 20% Agro-parks and local collection centers According to real estate experts, With the establishment of these agro-parks and industries along the expressway, local rural youth are getting ample employment opportunities near their homes. Till now, more than 50 small and big industries have been registered and started working around the corridor, which are giving new wings to the rural economy. Move away from traditional farming towards ‘high-value crops’ Due to better and safe roads, progressive farmers of this region are now moving out of the cycle of traditional crops (like only wheat or sugarcane) and moving towards high-value and modern crops. Now the production of expensive vegetables like strawberry, mushroom, broccoli and colorful capsicum has started on a large scale in the fields, because the farmers know that their hardy crop will reach the exporters of Delhi safely in just two hours without getting rotten. Along with this, it has now become easier for agricultural scientists and government experts to directly visit the villages, due to which farmers are getting rigorous technical information about modern seeds and fertilizers sitting at their homes. Traffic Rules and Fee Mathematics: To make the journey safe and controlled, 5 modern toll plazas and 7 interchanges have been built on this route. The toll fee for the entire journey from Delhi to Dehradun has been fixed at around ₹675. However, for safety reasons, a strict system of automatic challan has been implemented to keep an eye on overspeeding vehicles. Considering the business and time saving benefits, this toll fee is considered very economical. The picture of the villages of Western Uttar Pradesh is changing. Overall, this expressway is proving to be a boon for the rural areas of Western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, bringing happiness in the homes. Expressing his happiness, progressive farmer Ram Swaroop, resident of Baghpat, says, "Earlier our trucks used to get stuck in traffic jams for hours and half the crop would rot before reaching the market. Now it seems that the big market of Delhi has come straight to our house."

However, in some local areas, villagers are demanding additional service roads, which the administration is saying will be completed soon, but the overall impact of this entire project on the ground is very positive and strong. This corridor is setting a true example of a changing and developing India, where excellent infrastructure is directly changing the fate and picture of the country’s Annadata.