Phase IA of Varanasi multimodal terminal inaugurated

The central government inaugurated Phase IA of the Varanasi multimodal inland water transport terminal project on November 12, 2018. This was marked by the receipt of the first intra-country container vessel carrying PepsiCo’s consignment through inland waterways on October 30, 2018. The Inland Waterways Authority of India’s vessel, MV RN Tagore, carried 16 containers (equivalent to 16 truckloads) of food and snacks. Meanwhile, the operations, management and further development of the multimodal terminal has been proposed on a PPP model. The selection of the operator through international competitive bidding is in advanced stages and is expected to be completed by December 2018.