Project update: Veranasi MMT

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the project Implementing Agency, has completed the first of the three Multi Modal Terminals (MMTs) as a more environment-friendly transport for cargo movement.

Built on River Ganga at Varanasi, it is part of the MMTs in the Jal Marg Vikas project that aims to develop the stretch of River Ganga between Varanasi to Haldi for navigation of large vessels up to 1,500-2,000 tonnes weight, by maintaining a drought of 2-3 metres.

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.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development has loaned US$375 million of the US$800 million cost of JMVP.

The project entails construction of 3 multimodal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia); 2 intermodal terminals; 5 Roll-On–Roll Off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs; new navigation lock at Farakka; assured depth dredging; integrated vessel repair & maintenance facility, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), River Information System (RIS), river training & river conservancy works.

Salient features of Varanasi Mutli-Modal Terminal (MMT) are:

First Multi-Modal Terminal on National Waterway -1.
Land: 33.34 hectares.
Cost of Phase-I of MMT: Rs. 206.84 cr.
Terminal capacity: 1.26 MPTA
Start date of the project: June 2016
Completion date of the project: November 2018.

The following are the main ingredients of the project, which are ready for operations:

Jetty: Length 200 m x Width 42 m with berthing and mooring facility.
02 Mobile Harbour Cranes
Approach Road
Internal Road
Stone Pitching Works and bank protection
Shell structure of ancillary buildings, worker amenity building ready.

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 advanced stage and expected to be completed by December 2018.

The project of multi-modal terminal and proposed Freight Village at Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct employment and more than 2000 indirect employment opportunities. fiinews.com