SGCCI Urges Urgent Cargo Service, Highway Repair

Surat : The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) has taken up the international air cargo and the immediate repair and renovation of the dilapidated Surat-Mumbai national highway (NH-48) with the Airports Authority of India Cargo Logistics and Allied Services (AAICLAS) and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari respectively. 

Vijay Mevawala, president of SGCCI stated that Surat is considered as the economic capital of Gujarat. Various industries such as textile, diamond, chemical, gem and jewellery, pharma, aquaculture, horticulture and garmenting have been established and developed in and around the city.  The villages in South Gujarat are prosperous due to the presence of agriculture and industries. Apart from this, when the sea port in Surat is also booming, there is a need for international air cargo service at Surat airport.

According to Mevawala, the samples of finished goods are sent abroad, but due to lack of international air cargo service at Surat airport, goods are forced to be sent via Mumbai route, due to which time and money is wasted.  When fruits, chemicals and some pharma drugs have to be sent within a certain time limit, emergency goods cannot be sent from Surat due to non-availability of international air cargo services at Surat Airport, thus the trade and industry of Surat is suffering huge losses.However, there is an urgent need for the diamond city to have a full-fledged international cargo services to cater to the ever growing demand of the businesses in Surat and South Gujarat. 

Apart from this, the SGCCI president highlighted the precarious condition of the national highway connecting Surat to Mumbai from the last one  year. 

“The condition of the highway from Surat to Dahisar while going to Mumbai is precarious.  There are potholes everywhere on the road, so the motorists are facing a lot of trouble. It usually takes five hours to cover a distance of about 280 kilometers from Surat to Mumbai, but now it is taking eight to nine hours due to the deteriorated condition of the road. Big and heavy vehicles are taking even more time. Due to which people are taking double the time, along with the fuel which is a national asset is also being wasted twice.

Mevawala stated that many accidents are taking place on the national  highway from Surat to Mumbai due to the potholed roads. Even the condition of the bridges on the highway are worse. There have been many cases of accidents reported on the national highway where the car and heavy vehicle drivers are forced to drive on the potholed roads. 

The SGCCI has urged the Ministry of Highway and transport to immediately remove the diversions on the national highway and take up repairs of the potholes on war footing.