First multi-modal terminal on Ganga river in Varanasi: All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga river in his parliamentary constituency and received the country's first container cargo transported on inland waterways from Kolkata.
The first consignment containing food and beverage had set sail from Kolkata in the last week of October.
The prime minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey, who is also the MP of the neighbouring Chandauli Lok Sabha constituency.Here's all you want to know about First multi-modal terminal.
This is the first of the three such terminals and two inter-modal terminals being constructed on the river.
The multi-modal terminals are being built as part of the central government's Jal Marg Vikas Project that aims to develop the stretch of the river Ganga between Varanasi and Haldia for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1,500-2,000 tonnes.
The objective is to promote inland waterways as a cheaper and more environment-friendly means of transport, especially for cargo movement.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the project implementing agency.
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. It is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369.18 crore, on a 50:50 sharing basis between the Government of India and the World Bank.
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.
Operation, management and further development of the terminal is proposed to be entrusted to an operator on public-private partnership model and selection of the operator through an international competitive bidding is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by December.
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.
The prime minister also received India's first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on October 30, carrying cargo belonging to PEPSICO (India) from Kolkata to Varanasi.
Container movement on an inland waterway in India is being done for the first time post-Independence.
The IWAI vessel, MV Rabindranath Tagore, is transporting 16 containers equivalent to 16 truckloads of food and snacks and is expected to reach Varanasi on Sunday. It will make its return journey with fertilisers from IFFCO.