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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 480
ANSWERED ON 03.02.2026
MODERNISATION OF GHAZIPUR AND VARANASI RIVER PORTS UNDER SAGAR
MALA PHASE III
480. SMT. GEETA ALIAS CHANDRAPRABHA:
Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Ghazipur and Varanasi river ports have been selected under Sagarmala Phase III for
modernization and mechanisation;
(b) whether dredging, berthing facility enhancement and development of warehousing terminals
are being expedited;
(c) whether any financial or technical partnership with private players, under PPP modalities, has
been initiated; and
(d) whether the Ministry has set a timeline for full operationalisation, including handling of
exports of agricultural produce from Uttar Pradesh by the end of the year 2026?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)
(a)to (c)As of now there is no scheme or initiative titled Sagarmala Phase-III under the Ministry
of Ports, Shipping and Waterways(MoPSW), however,Sagarmala 2.0 Scheme is at the stage of
formulation. The Government has sanctioned the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) for
augmentation of the navigational capacity of National Waterway (NW)-1 (from Haldia to
Varanasi 1,390 kilometer stretch) under which, a Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) with warehouse
facilities has been constructed at Varanasi by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI),
an autonomous organisation under MoPSW, and the terminal is operational. As of now, no
terminal is proposed at Ghazipur. Dredging activities along the entire stretch from Varanasi to
Haldiaare carried out on a continuous basis to maintain the required fairway. The process for
private operation under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) have been initiated at four (4) terminals
on NW-1 including Varanasi. Haldiaand Kalughat terminalshave been handed overto PPP
operators. Moreover, for development of Freight Village/Multi Modal Logistic Park (MMLP)
near Varanasi MMT, anMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Highways
Logistics Management Limited has been signed.
(d) Varanasi MMT is operational for cargo movement and it is in the process of Custom
notification to handle Exim cargo.
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