PM Modi to inaugurate key projects in Varanasi today: Here's all you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two major national highways at his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, on Monday. Modi will also inaugurate various projects related to the cleaning of the Ganga.

At a separate event, the prime minister will inaugurate the first multi-modal waterways terminal on the Ganga river as part of the Centre's Jal Marg Vikas Project which aims to develop the stretch of the river between Varanasi and Haldia for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes, an official statement said.

Here are the projects to be inaugurated by PM Modi in Varanasi

Two major national highways:

With the inauguration of the Babatpur Airport highway, coming to Varanasi just got easier. Have a look at the photos of this state-of-the-art project.

Travelling to and from Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow also gets easier with this project.

A win-win for the people of Kashi. pic.twitter.com/9tmY4oSNe0

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 11, 2018

# The two roads have a combined length of 34 km and have been laid at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore. The 16.55-km Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been completed at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the four-laning and construction of 17.25-km-long Babatpur-Varanasi Road on NH-56 has cost Rs 812.59 crore.

# The Babatpur Airport Highway will link Varanasi to the airport and go on to link Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With the flyover at Harhua and a road over bridge (ROB) at Tarna, the new road plan will reduce travel time from Varanasi to the airport, providing relief to the locals and tourists coming here.

# The Ring Road, with two ROBs and a flyover, is expected to reduce traffic, fuel usage and pollution on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 (Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 (Gorakhpur-Varanasi) and AyodhyaVaranasi highway.

National Clean Ganga Mission: 

Making Kashi cleaner and healthier through sewerage projects which will have a long-term impact on the city and surrounding areas.

The inauguration of 140 MLD Dinapur STP will add great strength towards the efforts of cleaning the Ganga. pic.twitter.com/Ne7bOmX3BU

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 11, 2018

# The projects include a Rs 254-crore 140-MLD (million litres per day) sewage treatment plant (STP), pumping stations at Chaukaghat (140 MLD), Phulwaraia (7.6 MLD) and Saraiya (3.7 MLD) worth Rs 34 crore.

# The projects also include construction of a relieving trunk sewer, rising mains and interceptor sewers along Varuna and Assi for 28 km with a cost of Rs 156 crore.

# The NMCG has also sanctioned a project for sewage management of Ramnagar town at an estimated cost of Rs 73 crore. 

Multi-modal waterways terminal:

In a major boost to port-led development and harnessing our Jal Shakti for India's growth, an inland waterways terminal will be inaugurated in Varanasi tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mGMuyPejUe

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 11, 2018

# The objective of the project is to promote inland waterways as a cheap and environment-friendly means of transportation, especially for cargo movement. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the project implementing agency.

# National Waterway-1 (Haldia-Varanasi stretch) is being developed with technical assistance and investment support from the World Bank. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,369.18 crore, which will be shared between the Government of India and the World Bank on a 50:50 ratio.

# The multi-modal terminal project and proposed freight village in Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct employment and more than 2,000 indirect employment opportunities.

India's first container vessel

# The PM will receive India's first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on inland waterways on October 30, carrying cargo belonging to PEPSICO (India).

(With PTI inputs)