Inland Waterways Authority of India has awarded the Rs 517 crore contract to construct multi-modal terminal at Haldia, West Bengal, to ITD Cementation Ltd.
Six bids were received from major infrastructure companies. Following a rigorous evaluation process, ITD Cementation Limited was awarded the contract, a press statement said.
To be completed by August, 2019, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) expects 7.95 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of cargo traffic at the Haldia terminal by 2020, the statement added.
The cargo projection for 2025 is 15.59 MTPA, growing up to 24.04 MTPA in 2045. Given its location, the terminal will be used to transport coal, fly ash, chemicals, petroleum & gas, construction materials, fertilizers and edible items.
"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 NW-1," IWAI chairman Amitabh Verma said in the statement.
The contract for multi-modal terminals at Varanasi (Rs 170 crore) in Uttar Pradesh and Sahibganj (Rs 280 crore) in Jharkhand. Were awarded earlier this year and construction works have started at both the locations.
In November, IWAI awarded Rs 359 cr contract for construction of a modern navigation lock at Farakka in West Bengal.
The Haldia terminal will be spread across 61 acres at the Haldia Dock Complex and will have facilities including berthing space for four vessels, stockyard for storing, belt conveyor system with fixed hoppers, barge loader, shore protection works, roads, ramps and parking area, and other terminal buildings.
The Government is developing the National Waterway-1 under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crore. The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 tonnes.
Phase-I of the project covers the Haldia-Varanasi stretch.
The project includes development of fairway, three multi-modal terminals - at Varanasi, Haldia, and Sahibganj, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works, modern River Information System, Digital Global Positioning System, night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking, construction of a new navigation lock at Farakka.
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