Union Minister Nitin Gadkari performs Bhoomi Poojan of the Wardha Dry Port in Maharashtra today. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is developing this port in order to ensure optimum logistics services to the industries in and around Vardha region. In addition, it aims to enhance cargo efficiency at the port. Nitin Gadkari handes Shipping, Road Transport and Highways and Water Resource, River Interlinking and Ganga Rejuvenation portfolios. The country is developing at a faster pace. In fact, there are many large projects are in progress heading towards successful closure. And many others are there in the pipeline. Obviously larger projects need a little flexible timeline and a stringent monitoring mechanism in place in order to close in time. Overall investment reportedly is INR 500 Crore. The budget for Phase-1 out of this is INR 180 Crore with a plan of development of almost 25 Hectare (or around 62 acres).
Wardha Dry Port will be over 350 acres (around 101 Hectare) of the total area with its development in different phases. This amount of INR 180 Crore includes a private investment of INR 79 Crore. Upon its completion, the dry port will produce traffic of around 9,000 TEUs in 7 years. TEU means Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit which measures the cargo carrying capacity of a ship. That means one TEU equals to a standard 20 shipping container that is usually 20 feet long and 8 feet tall. Generally, one TEU is able to accommodate around 9-11 pallets. By 2030, the traffic would ramp up to 30,000 TEUs with the advancement in the road, and railway connectivity. Gradually, it will help in increasing focus on ancillary segment and warehousing. It will also enhance EXIM developmental industries like Container Freight Station, Cold Storage, Warehousing, Liquid Storage, Customs Clearance Facilities, Truck Terminals, etc.
Wardha Dry Port Is A Revolutionary Step In Development
Wardha Dry Port has a very beneficial location strategically. It lies in the industrial belt of Nagpur & Wardha and connects well to the other industrial segments in Vidarbha. As a matter of fact, it will help many industries and industry segments to grow exponentially. These include textile industry and garments industry. Also it will help steel traders, rice exporters, minerals traders, plastics and paper pulp, scrap traders. In addition, automotive components manufacturers and electrical machinery will also get a thrust. Eventually, it promises to create a huge ecosystem of employment and business. In fact, domestic cargo movement will also get a boost because of various other projects in pipeline. It will help in drawing a close proximity to upcoming Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway.
