Multi-modal terminal coming up in Haldia at the cost of Rs 517 cr

A state of the art multi-modal terminal is coming up at Haldia at an estimated cost of Rs 517 crore.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the ministry of Shipping on Thursday cleared the project which will be constructed by M/s ITD Cementation Limited.

The terminal will come up on 61 acres of land at the Haldia Dock Complex. It will have the facilities including berthing space for four vessels, stockyard for storing, belt conveyor system with fixed hoppers, barrage loader, shore protection works, roads, ramps and parking area, and other terminal buildings.

It is expected to be completed by March 2019. The cargo to be available for transportation of fly ash, stone chips, petroleum and gas products, fertilisers and edible oil.

IWAI expects 7.95 million tonne per annum of cargo traffic at the Haldia terminal by 2020. The cargo projection for 2025 is 15.59 MTPA, growing up to 24.04 MTPA in 2045.

IWAI chairman Amitabh Verma said: “The Rs 517 crore inland water transport terminal at Haldia with rail and road interconnectivity, is one of the three multi modal terminals to come up on river Ganga under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) of IWAI. This is in line with IWAI’s commitment for a time bound completion of work on NW1.”

The contract for multi-modal terminals at Varanasi worth Rs 170 crore and Sahibganj in Jharkhand worth Rs 280 crore were awarded earlier this year. In both the sites, construction work has started. In November, IWAI awarded construction of a modern navigation lock at Farakka worth Rs 359 crore.

There were six bidders who had responded to the tender and M/s ITD Cementation Limited was awarded the contract.