Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi on Monday for
inaugurating key infrastructure projects. These Projects
included two Roadways and an Inland waterway.
In Varanasi, PM Modi received a large container vessel that left
Kolkata inland port on October 30 carrying cargo belonging to
PEPSICO (India).
This is the first time that a container vessel travelled on
insland waterways on the Ganga. This waterways has been
named National Waterway-1. PM Modi also dedicated a
multimodal terminal to the Nation.
NATIONAL WATERWAY - 1 TO 10 POINTS :
- National waterway-1 is an inland water transfort route
between Haldia in West Bengal to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.
The National Waterway-1 is aided with differential global
positioning system (DGPS), river information system (RIS),
river training and conservancy works.
- The Haldia-Varanasi stretch of the National Waterway-1 has
been developed with technical assistance and investment
support from the World Bank. The total estimated cost of the
project is Rs 5,369.18 Cr. The cost of the project was shared
between the Indian government and the world bank on 50:50
ratio.
- the project involves construction of three multi-modal
terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia, two inter -modal
terminals and five roll-on-roll-off or Ro-Ro termibal pairs. It
also has a new navigation lock at Farakka, assured depth
dredging, integrated vessel repair and maintenance facility.
- Operation, management and further develpoment of the
terminal is proposed to be entrusted to an operator on
public-private partnership model (PPP). The selection of the
operator is at an advanced stage through an international
competitive bidding. The process is expected to be complete
by December end.
- The Varanasi inland port on Ganga river where PM Modi
received the container vessel has been newly developed. It is
the first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga.
- The terminal was developed as part of the Centre's Jal Marg
Vikas Project that 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.
- The objective of the project is to promote inland waterways
as a cheap and enviroment-friendly means of transportation,
especially for cargo movement. The Inland Waterways
Authority of India(IWAI) is the project implementing agency.
- The Multi-modal terminal project abd proposed freight
village in Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct
employment and more than 2,000 indirect employment
opportunites.
- The IWAI vessel, MV Rabindranath Tagore that PM Modi
received in Varanasi was the first container movement on an
inland waterway in India since Independence.
- The vessel transported 16 container equivalent to 16
truckloads of food and snacks from Kolkata to Varanasi. It will
be on its return journey carrying fertilisers from IFFCO.