Why in news:

• Civil aviation ministry has recently announced that twelve helipads will be built in Rajasthan on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway.
• These helipads will be instrumental for medical emergencies, defence-related activities and other purposes.

Key Points:

• Union transport minister has also said his ministry was in talks with a foreign company to construct an electric highway between Jaipur and Delhi.
• Of all the helipads, four will be developed in Dausa, six in Sawai Madhopur and two in Kota, said Pawan Kumar, chief general manager (CGM), RO-Jaipur, NHAI.
• Civil aviation minister had recently said the Centre was planning to develop helipads along major highways so that accident victims could be evacuated using helicopters from the spot.
• Under the 1,380-km Delhi-Mumbai expressway project, 374 km will be in Rajasthan covering Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Tonk, Bundi and Kota districts.
• The first phase of the Rs 95,000-crore project - Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot (214 km) and Vadodara-Ankleshwar (100 km) - will be made open to traffic by March 2022.
• After the completion of the project, the distance between Delhi and Mumbai will be covered in 12.5 hours, the distance between Delhi and Jaipur will be covered in 2 hours.
• The helipads are being developed mainly for the purpose of air-lifting people grievously injured in accidents. Additionally, these will be used for multipurpose activities as it is a government property.
• However, there’s no direct connection between Jaipur and Jodhpur under the expressway project.
• Jaipur is connected to Jodhpur through Pachpadra on Amritsar – Jamnagar Economic Corridor, which is 40 km from Jodhpur.
• To ensure wildlife protection so the animals don’t get disturbed due to this project, it has been decided to use the sound of Indian musical instruments for horns and sirens.
• This will also decrease sound pollution, as per the concerned officials.
  
  
   

Electric highway:

• With electric vehicles largely being touted as the future of transportation if the world is to adequately address the climate crisis, the concept of an electric highway has also come to prominence in recent years.
• The electric highway under discussion will allow electric vehicles to travel along the stretch while being charged.
• Electric highways are already in use in Germany and Sweden.