Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate first multi-modal terminal on Ganga tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first multi-modal terminal on the river Ganga in Varanasi on Monday. The objective of the project is to promote inland waterways as a cheaper and more environment-friendly means of transport, especially for cargo movement.

This will be the first of the three such terminals and two inter-modal terminals being constructed on the river, according to an official release. The other two terminals will be built at Haldia in West Bengal and Sahibganj in Jharkhand. The Prime Minister will also receive India’s first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on October 30 at Varanasi on Monday.

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Enroute Varanasi from Kolkata, the #IWAI vessel carrying 16 containers of PepsiCo cargo crossing Farraka lock on river Ganga ( #NW1 )
Will be received by Hon’ble Prime Minister on Monday , 12 Nov’18.#BadaltaBharat #IndiaMovesOnRivers #Sagarmala https://t.co/dqmEkrcGXV pic.twitter.com/VJiwRVS1RJ

— Ministry of Shipping (@shipmin_india) November 10, 2018

The multi-modal terminals are being built as part of the central government's Jal Marg Vikas Project that aims to develop the stretch of the river Ganga between Varanasi and Haldia for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1,500-2,000 tonnes, it said.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the project implementing agency.

All set to add a new chapter to the glory of #NewIndia
Varanasi multi-modal terminal will be a game changer in transport sector and the way India moves!
H’bl Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi to dedicate to nation on 12 Nov’18#riversforprosperity #BadaltaBanaras #BadaltaBharat pic.twitter.com/VWWoAM4ydu

— Ministry of Shipping (@shipmin_india) November 10, 2018

The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) is being implemented on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) with the technical assistance and investment support of the World Bank. It is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369.18 crore, on a 50:50 sharing basis between the Indian government and the World Bank.

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The project entails construction of three multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia); two intermodal terminals; five roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs; new navigation lock at Farakka; assured depth dredging; integrated vessel repair and maintenance facility, differential global positioning system (DGPS), river information system (RIS), river training and river conservancy works, the release said.

Operation, management and further development of the terminal is proposed to be entrusted to an operator on public-private partnership model and selection of the operator through an international competitive bidding is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by December.