NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the multi-modal terminal (MMT) on the river Ganga to the nation on Monday. The MMT at Varanasi is the first of three MMTs coming up along the Varanasi-Haldia stretch of National Waterway-1. They are being constructed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India and are part of the Centre’s Jal Marg Vikas project.
It aims to develop the stretch of 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 in this stretch of the river and setting up other systems required for safe navigation.
The stretch is being developed with the technical assistance and investment support of the World Bank at an estimated cost of `5,369.18 crore on a 50:50 sharing basis between the Centre and the World Bank. “The terminals will change the way cargo transportation is done on inland waterways. It will become easier and help transport huge containers,” an IWAI official said.
