NHLML and IWAI Sign MoU to Develop State-of-the-Art Multi-Modal Logistics Park in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

On March 11, 2025, National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to develop a state-of-the-art Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The project aims to strengthen the logistics industry and boost economic growth by creating an interconnected logistics hub.

      - The 150-acre logistics park will have direct access to NH7 via a 650-meter road, just 1.5 km from the NH7-NH2 junction. It will integrate with EDFC via a 5.1 km railway from Jeonathpur Station, connect to National Waterway-1, and is 30 km from Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Varanasi.

      - In a separate development, IWAI, the nodal agency for National Waterways (NW) under MoPSW, signed an MoU with multiple agencies of the Delhi government, including the Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) department, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), at Asita Park, Delhi.

      - The MoU includes plans to develop cruise tourism on a 4-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna River, designated as National Waterway-110 (NW-110), between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur in Delhi. The project will introduce electric-solar hybrid boats with a capacity of 20-30 passengers, equipped with bio-toilets and safety gear.

Main Point :-   (i) To facilitate ferry operations, the project will include the construction of two High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) jetties. This initiative is expected to improve river-based transport while ensuring environmental sustainability through the use of green energy solutions.

      (ii) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, attended the MoU signing ceremony, underscoring the government's commitment to modernizing India's transportation and logistics sectors.

(iii) As part of the broader sustainable water transport initiatives, the Harit Nauka Guidelines focus on promoting electric boats, which are already operational in Varanasi and Ayodhya. Additionally, NW-110, covering a 1,089-kilometer stretch from Delhi to Prayagraj, was officially declared a National Waterway in 2014.