* In the maiden container since Independence on inland vessel MV Rabindranath Tagore, food and beverages major PepsiCo moved its 16 containers — equivalent to 16 truckloads — from Kolkata to Varanasi. The vessel will make its return journey with fertilisers belonging to IFFCO that will be procured from its Phulpur plant near Allahabad
With the push of a button, Prime Minister @narendramodi inaugurates India's first multi-modal terminal. Watch Live… https://t.co/NFYvH2M9jJ
— PIB India (@PIB_India) 1542017931000
* The NW1 would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 DWT. It is being developed under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi covering a distance of 1390 km. It is being developed with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crore on a 50:50 sharing basis.
* The container cargo transport comes with several inherent advantages — it reduces the handling cost, allows easier modal shift, reduces pilferage and damage, it also enables cargo owners to reduce their carbon footprints. The objective is to promote inland waterways as a cheaper and more environment-friendly means of transport, especially for cargo movement.
* 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.
* The project of multi-modal terminal and proposed freight village in Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct employment and more than 2,000 indirect employment opportunities.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2zJxQRF