Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) chairman Unmesh Wagh on Tuesday said the dry port at Niphad would be made operational by March next year.
Wagh had a meeting with Nashik divisional commissioner Pravin Gedam and district collector Jalaj Sharma to discuss the project, including acquisition of the land.
Wagh, while talking to TOI, said the JNPA has already acquired 108 acres and is now in the process of acquiring the remaining 11 acres for rail connectivity.
“If the 11 acres are acquired, we will be able to start the work and make the dry port project at Niphad operational by the end of the current financial year,” Wagh said.
“I had a meeting with the divisional commissioner and district collector to discuss the issue. Both the officials have assured to complete the process within a week or two,” said Wagh.
The total cost of the Niphad dry port project is estimated at Rs 750 crore. The JNPA has already floated a bid for development of the project following central govt’s approval. The bid is expected to be awarded to an agency by the end of December.
Gedam said, “We have assured to expedite the land acquisition process. We will make the dry port operational at the earliest.”
The facilities planned at the dry port project include rail sidings for multi-modal transfers, warehouses, cold storage, climate control warehouses, intermodal transfer points, and specialised handling facilities for container terminals and bulk/break-bulk cargo.
