Gujarat Chief Minister reviews progress at Dholera

Gandhinagar : Even as the preparations for the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2024 are in full swing, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel recently visited Dholera SIR to inspect the progress of the Greenfield Industrial Smart City and its infrastructure projects.

A state government spokesperson said that the first phase of the project, covering 22.54 sq km, has achieved 95 percent completion.

During his visit, Patel emphasized Dholera’s advanced infrastructure, strategic location, and substantial potential in emerging sectors such as semiconductors and green hydrogen. He underscored the crucial role of these sectors in India’s sustainable and technology-driven development.

The city’s infrastructure is rapidly evolving to realize Prime Minister  Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning Dholera as a world-class smart industrial development model, aligning with the goal of Viksit Bharat@2047, he observed.

The state government Special Investment Region Act in 2009 to provide establishment, operation, regulation and management of large size Investment Regions and Industrial Areas to especially enable their development as Global Hubs of Economic Activity to strengthen Gujarat’s manufacturing ecosystem as well as emphasize various sectors of India’s dynamic business ecosystem. Dholera is an example comprising the largest land parcel in the country. It is one of the first few cities in the world and the first greenfield city in India to achieve the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green City rating, the spokesperson said.

Located approximately 100 km south of Ahmedabad and 130 km from Gandhinagar, Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) is set to become a major Greenfield Industrial Hub. DSIR, with its world class plug-and-play infrastructure and lower power tariff, will be home to non-polluting industries. It aims to create an economically & socially balanced new-age city with highest quality-of-life standards & sustainability in the urban development context.

Out of 920 square kilometre, total developable area is 422 square kilometre and 110 square kilometers has been earmarked for industrial development.

Phase 1 of the DSIR project, known as the Activation area, comprises 22.54 square kilometers and includes allocated areas for industries, residential spaces, mixed-use, recreation, social infrastructure, and tourism. Land allotment for industries has begun, covering contiguous land parcels ranging from 1 acre to 330 acres and more.

In the Phase I, water management system has a 50 MLD water treatment plant, a Master Balancing Reservoir (MBR), Elevated Service Reservoirs, a 10 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), and a 20 MLD Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). Monitored by the City Integrated Operations Center, it caters to residential, commercial, and industrial water needs, contributing to the city’s self-sufficiency.

Dholera Industrial Smart City promises comprehensive connectivity via Air, Road, Rail, and Sea. The state-of-the-art 4-lane expressway to Ahmedabad is under construction, targeted for completion by 2024, the spokesperson added. Dholera International Airport is under construction and will be ready for cargo movement by December 2025, he claimed. The airport will handle 300,000 passengers and over 20,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

More than 8500 hectares of land in the Coastal Regulation Zone of DSIR has been identified to develop a Solar Park. In the energy sector, Dholera’s 4400 MW Solar Park is expected to be a game-changer, aligning with the national goal of 250 GW of green energy by 2030. It is being developed by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) under the PPP model. Transmission Corporation Limited), a State power transmission company.