Urban Transport Infrastructure November 2018 Urban Transport Infra November 2018 | Page 32

Shipping & Ports
PM Narendra Modi
inaugurates India’s first
Multi Model Terminal on
River Ganga in Varanasi
- Urban Transport News | www.urbantransportnews.com
P
rime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi dedicated India’s first
multi-modal terminal on
river Ganga (on National
Waterway I) to the nation at
Varanasi on 12 th November 2018.
This terminal will provide seamless
linkage
between
road-rail-river
transportation for movement of
cargo. This is the first of the three
Multi-Modal Terminals and two
Inter-Modal
Terminals
being
constructed on the river Ganga.
The Multi-Model Terminals are
being built as part of the Govt. of
India’s Jal Marg Vikas project that
aims to develop the stretch of River
Ganga between Varanasi to Haldia
for navigation of large vessels up to
1500-2000
tonnes
weight,
by
maintaining a drought of 2-3 metres
in this stretch of the river and setting
up other systems required for safe
navigation.
The objective is to
promote inland waterways as a
cheaper and more environment
friendly
means
of
transport,
especially for cargo movement.
Inland Waterways Authority of India
(IWAI) is implementing the project.
WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM
Operation, management and further
development of the Multi-Modal
Terminal is proposed to be entrusted to
an Operator on PPP model. Selection of
the PPP Operator through an
International Competitive Bidding is at
an advanced stage and expected to be
completed by December 2018.
The project of the multi-modal
terminal and proposed Freight Village
at Varanasi are expected to generate
500 direct employment and more than
2000
indirect
employment
opportunities.
Benefits of Jal Marg Vikas Project:
• Providing access to better markets
to traders, farmers, entrepreneurs
and businessmen
• Facilitating employment avenues
through infrastructure development
and construction of Multi-model
Terminals.
• Ro-Ro facilities and ferry services
to benefit the people by easing local
travel.
• Transforming the lives of people
with better connectivity.
• 16000 direct jobs and 840000
indirect jobs will be created through
the vessel construction industry.
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Salient features of India’s first
Multi Model Terminal on River
Ganga, National Waterway I,
Varanasi:
• Built under Jal Marg Vikas
Project
• Project cost: INR 5369 crores
• Area: 82.38 hectares
• Capacity: 12.6 lakh tonnes per
annum
• Length: 1380 km (Phase-I)
Jal Marg Vikas Project highlights:
• Total 25 terminals Investment
Cost INR 1354 crores
• 3 Multimodal Terminals
(Varanasi, Sahibganj, Haldia)
• 2 Intermodal Terminals
(Ghazipur, Kalughat)
• 10 Ro-Ro Terminals
• 10 Floating Terminals
Urban Transport Infrastructure | November 2018