KoPT pushes Rs.5,369 cr port project

In a bid to make the most out of the World Bank financed Rs.5,369 crore Jal Marg Vikash project, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) is planning to set up a terminal-cum-economic zone at Balagarh, about 40 km upstream of Ganga, in West Bengal, Chairman, Vineet Kumar, said, elaborating that considering setting up an extended gate at Balagarh in Hooghly district on 300 acre land as the area is well connected with top class road and rail infrastructure. It may act as a river terminal cum industrial zone, offering users easy movement of (container) cargo to and from Kolkata Port by barges. Under Jal Marg, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is developing an all weather fairway on Ganga from Varanasi to Haldia known as National Waterway-I) and, creating the requisite ancillaries including six terminals, economic zones, barge repairing facilities among others. The project, which is under implementation aims to increase river cargo movement along the stretch from the existing 4.5 million ton to 22 million ton in 2022 and 45 mt by 2030.