Vadodara Gets Rs 35,000 Crore in Projects as Flying Squad Busts Sand Mining Racket

Vadodara drew national attention on two fronts this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled more than Rs 35,000 crore worth of development projects anchored by completion of India's Dedicated Freight Corridor network, while the city's Flying Squad executed a targeted raid on illegal sand mining at the Orsang River, seizing heavy machinery and trucks worth Rs 3.50 crore and exposing persistent enforcement failures.

🏢 Rs 35,000 Crore Development Package Unveiled

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vadodara, Gujarat, to lay foundation stones, inaugurate and formally dedicate development projects valued at more than Rs 35,000 crore, spanning railways, transport connectivity, manufacturing and energy infrastructure. The centrepiece of the occasion was the announcement that the 2,800-kilometre Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) — comprising the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor — had reached completion. The DFC network transforms how goods move across India by separating cargo rail traffic from passenger rail traffic for the first time at scale. Running freight trains on dedicated tracks enables goods to travel faster, more predictably and at greater frequency than was possible when cargo and passenger trains shared the same lines. The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is particularly significant for Vadodara, supporting the movement of high-volume containerised cargo from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT Port) along the western coast to destinations across India's interior. A double-stack container train operating on the corridor can carry cargo equivalent to more than 250 trucks per trip, translating into substantially lower per-unit freight costs, reduced road congestion and a smaller environmental footprint compared to road transport. Reporting from ProjectsMonitor notes that the expanded rail network also extends reliable connectivity to previously underserved areas, with newly introduced train services providing links to communities that lacked adequate rail access. The investment spans multiple sectors, reinforcing Vadodara's position as a key logistics and manufacturing node within Gujarat's rapidly developing economic corridor. [8]

Flying Squad Dismantles Rs 3.50 Crore Orsang River Mining Operation

The Vadodara Flying Squad executed a raid against illegal sand mining on the Orsang River, resulting in the seizure of three Hitachi excavating machines and seven trucks with a combined estimated value of Rs 3.50 crore. The raid targeted a stretch of the riverbed situated between the villages of Devaliya and Tejgarh, in an area that falls within Chhotaudepur taluka near Chhotaudepur town. The operation was carried out after the squad received a specific tip-off about illegal extraction activity at the site and was timed to catch the operation by surprise. Under the direct supervision of Vadodara Flying Squad officer D.N. Pavaya, the team moved into the riverbed and found large-scale machinery actively engaged in sand extraction. Initial investigations confirmed that no valid mining lease had been approved or issued by the relevant authorities for extracting sand at that location, meaning every tonne removed was taken illegally and without payment of royalties owed to the state exchequer. Officials following the raid initiated a formal process to assess the total royalty loss resulting from the unchecked extraction. According to Gujarat Samachar, this raid marks the second time within a span of fifteen days that the Flying Squad had to intervene in that particular stretch of the Orsang River, a pattern that reveals how persistent and organised illegal sand mining operations in the area have become. The high quality of sand available from the Orsang riverbed is identified as the primary driver of repeated illegal exploitation, creating a financial incentive strong enough to sustain continuous extraction despite the risk of enforcement raids. The report raises pointed questions about the apparent inaction of local administrative officials who were aware of the problem yet failed to act before the Flying Squad's interventions. [6]

Sources: [8] ProjectsMonitor · [6] english.gujaratsamachar.com