The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has handed over the Kalughat Intermodal Terminal in Bihar to Summit Alliance Port East Gateway (India) Pvt. Ltd. for operations and maintenance, an official statement said on Friday.
Built by IWAI with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the Kalughat Intermodal Terminal (IMT) is strategically located in the Saran district of Bihar and designed to handle a wide range of cargo, improving trade and connectivity in the region.
Under the PPP arrangement, the statement said Summit Alliance Port East Gateway (India) Pvt. Ltd. will operate and maintain the terminal on a revenue-sharing model with IWAI receiving 38.30 per cent of the gross revenue generated from terminal operations.
This model ensures a sustainable partnership framework that aligns commercial efficiency with public interest, supporting the long-term viability of the inland waterways ecosystem, it added.
Meanwhile, the statement said cargo operations have commenced at the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) in West Bengal, operated by IRC Natural Resources Pvt. Ltd., with the first consignment of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) from Tata Steel bound for Pandu, Guwahati in Assam.
Together, it said these developments mark a significant step towards ensuring the sustainable, efficient and professional management of terminals developed under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) – furthering the government’s vision of integrated multimodal connectivity, public-private partnership (PPP) and sustainable logistics along the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system.
Under JMVP, the statement said IWAI has undertaken large-scale capacity enhancement of the 1,390 km stretch of NW-1, spanning Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal through fairway development, construction of multi-modal and intermodal terminals, modern navigational infrastructure and installation of over 60 community jetties for the benefit of local riverine communities.