Jaisalmer recently witnessed an unprecedented upscale in demand for limestone. Owing to this sudden rush of demand, Jaisalmer has ushered in ornamental revenues, making it the top revenue earner among stations of the North Western Railway (NWR). Owing to this massive swing of business in the golden city, the ministry gave a nod to the construction of a new 58.5km-long rail track between Hamira and Sonu .
Various steel companies in the country are recipients of limestones sourced from the mines of Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals limited (RSMM), an area which is located 40km away from Jaisalmer.
To enable faster delivery and effective logistics, more than 500 trucks have been deployed to transport limestone from the the mines to Railway station on a daily basis. After reaching the railway station, limestone is then commuted by rail to a slew of places.
Thanks to this decision, now the process of sending out limestones to various parts will become hassle-free and faster. Not only this, the new track will lead to reduced pollution levels engendered by limestone dust. The army will also benefit from this move.
The increasing transportation cost is cited as one major reason behind the approval.
Owing to a multitude of reasons, there was a mounting pressure on the officials to express their nod to the development, which has finally manifested.
NWR CPRO spokesperson Tarun Jain said, “ The railways had approved the 58.5km line from Thyat Hamira to Sonu and has sanctioned Rs 262 crore for the purpose.”
Along the route, there will be 62 bridges, three ROBs, nine RUBs as well as a new station, Lanela, between Sonu and Thaiyat Hamira.
“Jaisalmer station comes first in revenue generation in NWR every year, with 50 lakh tonnes of limestone transported to steel plants in the country, including Bhilai, Durgapur, etc., earning Rs 500 crore in the process,” Jain added.
The project preparations are set to commence in full swing. Work on land acquisition has been successfully completed . The tender has also been approved. The project is be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 262 crore.
The project will tentatively be completed by next year.
