Context-PM to inaugurate India’s second Multi Modal Terminal on Ganga at Sahibganj in Jharkhand

• This is being constructed on National Waterway-1 (River Ganga) under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) aided by World Bank.
• The First MultiModal Terminal has been constructed at Varanasi over River Gang

The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)

The Jal Marg Vikas Project is on NW-1 is being implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank.  The Project entails development of fairway with 3 meters depth between Varanasi and Haldia (Phase-I) covering a distance of 1380 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 5369 crore with target for completion in six years. The following sub-projects of this Project have commenced:

1.   Construction of Phase – I (A) of the multimodal terminal at Varanasi at a cost of Rs. 169.70 crore.
2. Construction of Phase – I of the multimodal terminal at Sahibganj at a cost of Rs. 280.90 crore.
3.  Construction of new navigation lock at Farakka at a cost of Rs. 359.19 crore.

• Earlier in 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated India’s first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga river in his parliamentary constituency here and received the country’s first container cargo transported on inland waterways from Kolkata.
• The first consignment containing food and beverage had set sail from Kolkata in October.
• The project entails construction of three multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia), two inter-modal terminals, five roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs, new navigation lock at Farakka, West Bengal, assured depth dredging, integrated vessel repair and maintenance facility, differential global positioning system (DGPS), river information system (RIS) and river training.

Importance

• The Multi-Modal terminal at Sahibganj will open up industries of Jharkhand and Bihar to the global market and provide Indo-Nepal cargo connectivity through waterways route.
• It will play an important role in transportation of domestic coal from the local mines in Rajmahal area to various thermal power plants located along NW-1. Other than coal, stone chips, fertilisers, cement and sugar are other commodities expected to be transported through the terminal.
• The multi-modal terminal will also help to create direct employment of about 600 people and indirect employment of about 3000 people in the region.
• The convergence of Road-Rail-River Transport at Sahibganj through the new multi-modal terminal will connect this part of the hinterland to Kolkata, Haldia and further to the Bay of Bengal. Also, Sahibganj will get connected to North-East States through Bangladesh by river-sea route. 

Basics

Intermodal Shipping

• Simply put, intermodal shipping is when your shipments are handled by several different shipping companies.
• Intermodal is defined as the movement of cargo from origin to destination by several modes of transport where each of these modes have a different transport carrier responsible, each with its own independent contract. Multiple carriers during a single journey. Each leg of the shipment is be handled by a separate transport carrier. The Shipper will have several contracts, one with each transport carrier to handle their specific leg of the shipment.

Advantages of Intermodal transportation are associated with:

a) Shippers can choose carriers to take advantage of lower rates for each transport leg;
b) gain flexibility and specialized handing of loading and unloading goods at different ports;
c) reduce their carbon footprint by choosing environmentally friendly carriers;
d) increased security of the products being transported; and
e) Shippers have more access to equipment and can better control capacity and selection of transit schedules.
 

Multimodal Shipping

• Multimodal is defined as the movement of cargo from origin to destination by several modes of transport where each of these modes have a different transport carrier responsible, However under a single contract or bill of lading. Single carrier during a single journey. The same transport carrier is responsible for moving the shipment in all legs, in all modes. In simple terms, Multimodal is using various modes of transport but with one transport bill of lading.

Advantages of Multimodal transportation are associated with:
a) Shipment tracking efficiency able to monitor with one transport carrier from door to door delivery;
b) access to remote parts of the world with responsibility and liability of the movement with one transport carrier;
c) efficiency in delivery time; and
d) minimization of logistics coordination expenses of a shipper