New Delhi, March 20 (KNN) The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Minister of Shipping and Road Transport & Highways Sh Nitin Gadkari and Minister of Railways Sh Suresh Prabhu for creation of logistics hubs with rail connectivity at Varanasi and other places on National Waterways.
 
The initiative would lead to convergence of inland waterways with rail and road connectivity providing a seamless, efficient and cost effective cargo transportation solution which would in turn facilitate business development in the hinterland and its feeder routes.
 
Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhu said this initiative would connect each part of the country as one country. It is the result of realising the huge potential for water connectivity in the country, he added. He further said that this environment friendly and cost effective measure would be a boon for landlocked states.
 
As the Dedicated Freight Corridor is a game changer, the synergy between the Ministries of Railways and Shipping would provide a boost to the development of multi-modal logistics terminals along National Waterways, added Sh Gadkari. The Minister also underlined his Ministry’s initiative to convert 101 rivers into inland waterways.
 
Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project has been undertaken by the Government for development of high speed dedicated freight line to facilitate rail transportation of goods. In Phase-I, DFCCIL will construct two Corridors, namely Eastern DFC traversing from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in West Bengal and Western DFC extending from Dadari in National Capital Region to Jawaharlal Port (Mumbai) in Maharashtra.
 
The joint development of a state-of-the-art and first of its kind logistics hubs at Varanasi and other places promises to bring together inland waterways, rail and road connectivity, providing seamless, efficient and cost effective cargo movement. (KNN/SS)