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.

EUT20 Belgium jersey launch event in Mumbai on Wednesday

Destino Legends Sports LLC, in partnership with the Belgian Cricket Federation, formally introduced the EUT20 Belgium to India at a press conference held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The event unveiled the league’s franchise ownership group, launched the official jerseys of all five city-based teams, and gave India its first real look at a cricket league built for something bigger, a global statement about the expansion of cricket beyond its traditional borders and into entirely new markets, audiences and territories.The EUT20 Belgium is a professional T20 franchise cricket league and the first of its kind in the European continent. Approved by the Belgian Cricket Federation as an associate member nation of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The league will be played in Brussels from June 6 to 14, 2026, and will be telecast in India via Sony Sports Network.At its core, the EUT20 represents a new stage for the Belgian game. This cricket is moving confidently towards new geographies, new fan bases and a future where the game does not simply remain within established boundaries, but evolves into a truly global arena.EUT20 Belgium franchise ownership is for a ten-year term, with all revenue from team kit sponsorship remaining with the respective franchise. Each team is built around the league’s 2-4-4-6 development model, which mandates the inclusion of local Belgian players in each starting XI alongside international icons and emerging associate talent. The structure is designed to create real cricket depth in Europe while ensuring a world-class competitive product on the field.The decision to launch EUT20 Belgium in Mumbai was a deliberate one. India is not only the largest cricket market in the world; It is the heartbeat of the game globally. The league is set to resonate here through the Sony Sports Network broadcast partnership, globally recognized cricketers familiar to Indian audiences and the involvement of Indian investors and stakeholders in the ownership ecosystem.Robin Choudhary, League Chairman and Managing Partner, Destino Legends Sports LLC, said, “India is not just a market for EUT20 Belgium. India is cricket. When the world’s most passionate cricket audience believes in something, that belief travels. We are here in Mumbai because we want Indian fans, Indian broadcasters and the Indian cricket ecosystem to see this league as their own. EUT20 Belgium will be in Indian living rooms from June, and we are Intent on earning their place there in the match.“eoin morganLeague Ambassador, EUT20 Belgium, said, “EUT20 Belgium is not just a cricket league. It is a statement of where the game is going. Europe has long been an untapped frontier for franchise cricket, and Belgium, located in the heart of the continent, is the perfect place to plant that flag. This is cricket expanding beyond traditional borders and reaching audiences who have never really had a league to call their own. The caliber of players, broadcasting infrastructure and ICC support make it a serious, credible competition. I’m proud to be a part of it.”The inaugural session will begin on 6 June 2026 in Hofstede, Belgium. Early season tickets are now available on the league’s official website, eut20belgium.be.About EUT20 BelgiumEUT20 Belgium is a professional T20 franchise cricket league in Belgium, organized by Destino Legends Sports LLC in partnership with the Belgian Cricket Federation. Sanctioned by the BCF and sanctioned by the ICC, the league is the first league of its kind on the European continent and represents a major step in the global expansion of cricket. Five city-based franchises – Brussels Royals, Ghent Gladiators, Liège Warriors, Bruges Knights and Antwerp Titans – will compete in the league’s inaugural season in Brussels in June 2026. The league is broadcast live in over 80 countries and features local Belgian talent as well as global international stars developed through a 2-4-4-6 player development model.About Destino Legends Sports LLCDestino Legends Sports LLC is the organizing entity behind EUT20 Belgium. The company’s mission is to professionalize and grow cricket in Europe through a world-class franchise competition model, bringing the elite game to new audiences while creating high-performance development pathways for local talent.teamsownersicon playerExcel United BrusselsAmit Kaushal and Purnima Kaushalshakib al hassanantwerp anchorZaheer Khan and Nagendra Siddautandre russellGhent GladiatorsMuhammad Shahid EdkandiTemba Bavumaliege red lionAnshad Ali MohammadAliFaf du PlessisJB BrugesUtsav SidgelRassie van der Dussen.

a historical BJP Win in West Bengal; Stalin’s second term in Tamil Nadu; Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to retain power for another term; Congress wins narrowly in Kerala; and maintaining strength Puducherry. These are the broad predictions of most exit polls for the five state elections scheduled for April 29.
If these appear largely to be in line with the expected lines, there are some outliers – including one exit poll predicting that the actor Victory‘s party can come to power Tamil Nadu. Exit polls are not an exact science and often get the results wrong. But the scale of what is at stake cannot be denied: about 18% of India’s voters have voted in these five states over the past few weeks, the results of which will be announced on May 4.

Image: facebook.com/kamlesdaji/

We live in a world where the line between religion and spirituality seems thin. Sometimes, the deeper essence of inner change also gets lost in translation. We tried to get a better perspective and thus, we came in contact with spiritual leader Kamlesh D. Patel. Affectionately called Daaji, his insights drew a clear line between merely believing and actually experiencing the divine.

What separates spirituality from religion?

“Believing in God and worshiping God comes under religion. But when after believing, we practice with devotion, experiences start arising. Internal experiences start manifesting within us. What was once external becomes internal,” said Daaji while speaking exclusively to us.He further said, “Earlier, we simply believed. Now, it is not necessary to believe because we have experienced it. Just like when you see something, a foot, a plant, the sun, the stars, you don’t have to ‘believe’ in them because you can see them with your own eyes. In the same way, the experience of the divine tells us that something divine really exists and is always with us. We can experience it whenever we want. That is spirituality, when faith turns into real experience.“

further journey

The spiritual leader further explained that spirituality is not where the journey ends; It is the journey itself. Once an experience is gained, it is important to move beyond it. He said, “We must go further. People often feel satisfied after gaining experience; they think, “I have experienced this.” But there is still a gap there. One experience, or even a year of such experiences, is not enough. What comes next is important.”Highlighting this as a very subtle point, he explained with an example. “Imagine you go to live with a friend, maybe a close friend or a cousin, and you spend three or four months with them. You enjoy their hospitality and think, “My friend is wonderful, so kind, so rich.” The experience feels good. But somewhere deep inside you may also feel, ‘It would be nice if I could be like them,'” he said.“In the same way, we can experience divinity, but true peace is not found until we become divine ourselves. After the experience, there must arise within the heart a deep inspiration, a kind of restlessness that moves us to change ourselves.” It is not enough to experience divinity; We must become this,” he said.

moving towards zero

“And even after being formed, a stage comes when the mind says, “Leave this too.” The person automatically transcends that too. Ultimately, the mind experiences satisfaction, and the journey continues towards emptiness, the void. That is why our scriptures, Vedas and Upanishads say, “Neti, Neti” (not this, not that). That state cannot be described in words, because it is emptiness,” Daaji concluded, as he highlighted the true essence of spirituality.