NEW DELHI, Oct 17:  The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has handed over the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal in West Bengal to IRC Natural Resources for operations and management through a public-private partnership, an official statement said on Friday.

  Under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, IWAI has adopted a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on an ‘equip, operate, and transfer’ (EOT) basis to ensure the efficient and sustained operation of the terminal, the ministry said in a statement.

“The concessionaire was selected through an open bidding process for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the terminal over a 10-year period, extendable by another 5 years.

“IRC Natural Resources emerged as the highest bidder by quoting a royalty of Rs 105.03 per metric tonne of cargo handled, payable to IWAI,” it said.

The operationalisation of Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) is expected to significantly boost cargo movement through inland waterways, providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and faster alternative for transporting goods, particularly to the Northeastern states and Bangladesh.

This development aligns with the Government of India’s vision to promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) as a sustainable and efficient mode of logistics under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), the statement said.

The project aims to enhance the capacity of the 1,390-km stretch of National Waterway-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system), which passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

IWAI has undertaken key developmental works under JMVP, including fairway maintenance, construction of multi-modal and inter-modal terminals, modern navigational locks and installation of over 60 jetties to support and benefit riverine communities.

Built by IWAI with the financial and technical assistance of the World Bank, the Haldia MMT in West Bengal has a capacity of 3.08 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

The terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, 2023.

Strategically located and connected to National Highway 41, the terminal is also slated to receive rail connectivity, further enhancing its multimodal integration. (PTI)