VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday gifted infrastructure projects worth Rs. 2,400 crore, including two highways and an inland waterways project, to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. Modi inaugurated India's first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga river in Varanasi 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 the last week of October.

This is the first of the four multi-modal terminals being constructed on the National Waterway-1 (river Ganga) as part of the World Bank-aided Jal Marg Vikas project of the Inland Waterways Authority of India. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,369.18 crore, which will be equally shared between the Government of India and the World Bank.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated two sewage infrastructure projects worth Rs 425.41 crore in Varanasi and laid the foundation stone for another project worth Rs 72.91 crore for Ramnagar. Among the projects inaugurated, the first is a 140 million litres per day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Dinapur built at a cost of Rs 235.53 Crore. The project includes 10 years Operation & Maintenance agreement.


The second project includes three sewage pumping stations at Chaukaghat (140 MLD), Phulwaria (7.6 MLD) and Saraiya (3.7 MLD). The total cost for the three pumping stations was Rs 34.01 crore.

Another project is the construction of 28 km long relieving trunk sewer, rising mains and interceptor sewers along Varuna & Assi at a cost of Rs 155.87 Crore.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Sewerage Management Scheme for Ramnagar at a cost of Rs 72.91 Crore. This will include a 10 MLD STP and interceting and diverting four drains.

"The sewerage projects being inaugurated will result in increasing the sewage treatment capacity in the city from 102 MLD to 242 MLD. The long term O&M provision will ensure that the STP is not only created but is being operated and maintained properly. These projects will result in treatment of 140 MLD the sewage before getting released in the river thereby reducing the pollution of the river Ganga," an official release said.



The Ramnagar project for which the foundation stone was laid will intercept the four main drains of Ramnagar town. The intercepted wastewater will be treated at the proposed 10 MLD STP. This will prevent pollution of river Ganga from drains in Ramnagar.

Modi also inaugurated two important roads, having a total length of 34 kilometres and built at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore. The 16.55-km-long Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been built at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the work of four-laning and construction of 17.25 km Babatput-Varanasi road on NH-56 cost Rs 812.59 crore.

The Babatpur Airport highway will connect the city with the airport and go on to link Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With a flyover at Harhua and a rail overbridge at Tarna, it will reduce the travel time from Varanasi to the airport, providing a big relief to the people of the holy city and tourists.

The Ring Road, with two rail overbridges and a flyover, will allow traffic on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 (Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 (Gorakhpur-Varanasi) and Ayodhya-Varanasi highways to bypass Varanasi, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the city. This will reduce travel time, fuel usage and pollution in the area.

The Ring Road will provide easier and more convenient access to Sarnath, an important site for Buddhist pilgrimage. These projects will also provide increased employment opportunities, development of small and medium industries and give a boost to economic development in the area.

(With inputs from agencies)