Ganga Expressway raises hopes of increase in tourist footfall at religious and heritage sites on the route

Lucknow: Car owners traveling between Meerut and Prayagraj or vice versa via the 594-km-long Ganga Expressway will have to pay a toll of Rs 1,800 for a single journey.The Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) on Wednesday announced the toll for motor vehicles soon after the expressway was opened to the public. The toll for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and tractors will be Rs 905, while mini buses and commercial vehicles will have to pay Rs 2,840 for a single journey.Buses and trucks, heavy construction machinery and earth moving vehicles will be charged Rs 5,720 and Rs 8,760 respectively, while vehicles with seven or more axles (heavy haulers, trailers, heavy cranes or earth movers) will have to pay the highest user charge of Rs 11,265 for a single journey.Commuters returning within 24 hours via the Ganga Expressway will have to pay a slightly lower fare as private toll companies appointed to collect the toll have been asked to deduct 80% of the actual round-trip charge (a car owner will be asked to pay around Rs 2,880 instead of Rs 3,600, and a two-wheeler rider will have to pay Rs 1,448 for a return journey instead of Rs 1,810). Similar tariff will be applicable on other categories of motor vehicles also.The six-lane Ganga Expressway will connect 12 UP districts between Western, Central and Eastern UP. Commissioned within a period of three years and three months under the public-private partnership model with a budget of Rs 36,230 crore, the expressway has been divided into four packages – the first 129.70 km stretch was developed by IRB Infrastructure, while the remaining three sections 151.70 km, 155.70 km and 156.8 km were constructed by Adani Road Transport Limited (a unit of Adani Road Transport Limited). Adani Enterprises Limited).Currently, passengers traveling from Meerut to Prayagraj via Aligarh, Etah, Kanpur and Fatehpur take an average of 11 to 13 hours to cover the distance of 700 km. With the option to travel safely at a maximum speed of 120 km an hour, the travel time will now be reduced to six to seven hours.Security personnel, camera monitoring for safety and securityUPEIDA Additional CEO Srihari Pratap Shahi said adequate arrangements and deployment have been made to ensure the safety of passengers on the expressway. He said a total of nine roadside facilities would be monitored through cameras and security personnel would be deployed to maintain security.Six police patrol vehicles will patrol each package to control traffic and prevent violation of rules. Similarly, 18 advanced ambulances, eight heavy-duty cranes, eight towing vans and four hydraulic cranes (used to lift and move a completely damaged or immobilized vehicle) will be deployed to keep the expressway free from undue obstructions and hazards.Officials said passengers in distress can make an emergency call on the centralized number 14449. Designed to maintain speeds up to 120 km/h, two main plazas have been established on the main carriageway at the starting and ending points of the high-speed corridor along with 19 exits to provide first aid to the injured. At 21 locations, one ambulance with a driver and two paramedics will also be kept on standby.The demand for additional police patrol vans will be raised in the coming days if congestion or blockages are encountered at places where the Ganga Expressway intersects with national highways.AI-based cameras to send alerts during accidentsAdani Enterprises, which will collect toll on three packages of the Ganga Expressway, said artificial intelligence-based surveillance cameras will be used to generate real-time alerts to detect car accidents. “The emergency response system will be activated immediately to reach individuals seeking help. The AI ​​system is equipped to provide precise location with geographic coordinates to emergency response vehicles,” the company said in a statement. Adani Enterprises developed the 464 km extension (about 80% of the total project). According to estimates given by the UP government, the expressway will help save Rs 25,000-30,000 crore annually by improving logistics.

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya speaks during an interview with The Associated Press after winning the London Marathon in London, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Sébastien Sauvé made history at the London Marathon on Sunday morning, defending his title for the second consecutive year by becoming the first man to complete the marathon in under two hours under official race conditions. The 31-year-old Kenyan, known as the “Silent Assassin” in his training camp, completed the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course in 1:59:30, breaking a long-standing barrier in competitive racing and setting a new world record in the process. Finally, he picked up an Adidas trainer, marking the moment, with the time written on it in pen. It was only the fifth marathon of Savay’s career, yet he took control of the race and crossed the line clearly in what was described as an outrageous performance. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also finished second in the two-hour time on The Mall with a time of 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third with a time of 2:00:28.

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya celebrates winning the men’s race at the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Sawe’s time erased 35 seconds from the previous official world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptom at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and put him just 10 seconds faster than the unofficial 1:59:40 recorded by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019 under controlled conditions.

Prize money, bonuses and total earnings

If you were wondering how much the Kenyan star is taking home, Savay’s earnings from the race come from a mix of base prize money and a range of performance bonuses, creating a life-changing payout that could go a long way towards his family and his plans for the future. The base prize for winning the elite men’s race is $55,000 (approximately £40,000). Additionally, he qualified for every major performance bonus available:

This brings his confirmed prize pot to $355,000, approximately £263,000. Additional reports, including SunThere are suggestions that when sponsorship clauses and commercial bonuses are included, Saave could earn up to $1 million from the achievement. An Adidas athlete, he set the record wearing the Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes, which retail for around £450.

The winner of the men’s race, Sebastian Savay of Kenya, celebrates on the podium after the London Marathon, Sunday April 26, 2026. AP/PTI(AP04_27_2026_000113A)

Throughout the event, prize money has decreased from $55,000 for the winner to approximately $30,000 (£24,000) for second place and approximately $1,000 (£800) for 12th place.

what does he plan to do with the money

Sawe has already made it clear that his first priority is his family in Kenya. He plans to build a house for them and buy a car so they no longer have to walk, he also plans to complete a local church and assist relatives in traveling abroad. His father, Simeon, told the BBC through a translator: “The truth is, he promised us he would build us a house. And he said he would buy a car. So we won’t walk anymore.” “He also promised that he would finish building the church here – and that he would help us go abroad.” The family watched the race from rural western Kenya, where her mother Emily said she “jumped around the house” and was “so happy” when she crossed the line. He is planning big celebrations when he returns home as the world record holder.

Jati and Saave’s own words

About 59,000 runners took part in the London Marathon, but as Savay took the lead and maintained the lead, attention soon narrowed to the front in the men’s race. After the finale he credited the London crowd, telling Gabby Logan on the BBC: “First of all, I want to thank the crowd. “They help a lot. They helped a lot. You feel very happy and strong and moving forward. What comes to me today is not for me alone but for all of us in London.”

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the men’s race at the London Marathon in London on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Savay’s preparation that day was quite simple, he said that before the race he got energy from “two slices of bread with ham and a cup of tea”.

context behind the performance

Savay served as a pacemaker at the 2022 Seville Half-Marathon before rising through the ranks, and this latest win marks a second consecutive London Marathon title. For years, the two-hour marathon hurdle was considered out of reach in official competition. Not only did Savay break it, but he did so with great tenacity, with another runner also falling short of the mark on the same day. The result is one of the most important performances in long distance running, both for time and for the variation that is considered achievable in race conditions.

मुजफ्फरनगर 2017 में हिंदू सुरक्षा सेवा संघ की जिला कार्यकारिणी ने प्रधानमंत्री और उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार के नाम प्रशासनिक अधिकारियों को ज्ञापन सौंपकर गौमाता को राष्ट्रमाता घोषित करने की मांग की थी। यह ज्ञापन जिला अध्यक्ष शैंकी धीमान एवं कार्यकारी जिला अध्यक्ष अंकित कुमार के नेतृत्व में जिलाधिकारी कार्यालय सहित सदर, बुढ़ाना एवं खतौली तहसीलों में संबंधित अधिकारियों को दिया गया।

संघ पदाधिकारियों ने कहा कि यह मांग सिर्फ धार्मिक आस्था का मामला नहीं है, बल्कि भारतीय संस्कृति, परंपरा और सामाजिक मूल्यों के संरक्षण से जुड़ा मुद्दा है.

भारतीय संस्कृति में गौ माता के महत्व का उल्लेख किया।

ज्ञापन में संगठन की ओर से कहा गया कि भारतीय सभ्यता एवं संस्कृति में गौ माता का स्थान अत्यंत पूजनीय एवं आदरणीय रहा है। प्राचीन काल से ही गौ माता को मातृत्व, सेवा, समृद्धि और करुणा का प्रतीक माना जाता रहा है।

संघ ने यह भी बताया कि वेदों, पुराणों और अन्य धार्मिक ग्रंथों में गाय माता की महिमा का विस्तार से वर्णन किया गया है और यह भारतीय समाज में एकता और सह-अस्तित्व का संदेश देती है।

राष्ट्रहित एवं सांस्कृतिक संरक्षण से जुड़ा प्रस्ताव

संगठन ने अपने ज्ञापन में कहा कि आने वाली पीढ़ियों को भारतीय परंपराओं और सांस्कृतिक मूल्यों से जोड़ने के लिए गाय माता को राष्ट्रमाता घोषित करना एक आवश्यक कदम हो सकता है। यह पहल ग्रामीण समाज के सांस्कृतिक संरक्षण और सशक्तिकरण से भी जुड़ी थी।

ज्ञापन में यह भी कहा गया है कि गाय आधारित जीवनशैली पर्यावरण संरक्षण और ग्रामीण अर्थव्यवस्था को मजबूत करने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा सकती है।

गोरक्षा के लिए सख्त कानून बनाने की मांग

संघ ने अपनी प्रमुख मांगों में गौमाता को राष्ट्रमाता घोषित करने के साथ-साथ गौवंश की सुरक्षा के लिए प्रभावी एवं सख्त कानून बनाने की आवश्यकता पर बल दिया।

इसके अलावा देशभर में गौशालाओं के विकास और संरक्षण के लिए विशेष योजनाएं लागू करने और गाय आधारित प्राकृतिक खेती और जैविक उत्पादों को बढ़ावा देने की भी मांग की गई.

ग्रामीण रोजगार एवं प्राकृतिक खेती को बढ़ावा देने का सुझाव

ज्ञापन में यह भी कहा गया है कि गाय आधारित खेती के तरीके ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में रोजगार के नए अवसर पैदा कर सकते हैं। प्राकृतिक खेती को बढ़ावा देने से किसानों की आय में वृद्धि के साथ-साथ पर्यावरण संरक्षण को भी मजबूती मिल सकती है।

संगठन ने सरकार से इस दिशा में बड़े पैमाने पर योजनाएं लागू करने की अपेक्षा की.

स्कूल-कॉलेजों में जागरूकता अभियान चलाने की मांग

हिंदू सुरक्षा सेवा संघ ने शैक्षणिक संस्थानों में भारतीय संस्कृति और गोरक्षा से संबंधित जागरूकता कार्यक्रम आयोजित करने का भी सुझाव दिया। उन्होंने कहा कि इससे युवाओं को पारंपरिक मूल्यों से जोड़ने में मदद मिल सकती है.

ऐसे कार्यक्रमों को सांस्कृतिक जागरूकता एवं सामाजिक सहभागिता बढ़ाने में उपयोगी बताया गया।

ज्ञापन सौंपने के दौरान संगठन के कई पदाधिकारी मौजूद रहे।

ज्ञापन सौंपने के दौरान जिला प्रभारी अंशुल तायल, जिला अध्यक्ष शैंकी धीमान, कार्यकारी जिला अध्यक्ष अंकित कुमार, जिला उपाध्यक्ष शुभम राठी, जिला मंत्री हरिभान सिंह, सदर तहसील मंत्री सोनू कुमार सहित कार्यकारिणी सदस्य राम सिंह, टिंकू सैनी, अभिषेक, राजेंद्र तायल, पुष्पेंद्र शर्मा, नितिन सैनी व गौरक्षक मोनू व अन्य कार्यकर्ता मौजूद रहे।

संगठन के पदाधिकारियों ने उम्मीद जताई कि सरकार उनकी मांगों पर सकारात्मक विचार कर आवश्यक कदम उठाएगी.

हिंदू सुरक्षा सेवा संघ की ओर से सौंपे गए इस ज्ञापन के माध्यम से प्रशासन के समक्ष गौ माता को राष्ट्रमाता घोषित करने और गौ वंश की रक्षा से जुड़े मुद्दों को प्रमुखता से उठाया गया, जिसे संगठन ने भारतीय संस्कृति, ग्रामीण अर्थव्यवस्था और पर्यावरण संरक्षण से जुड़ा एक महत्वपूर्ण विषय बताया है.