PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Rs 1,572 cr NHs in Varanasi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Monday inaugurate two national highways constructed at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore in Varanasi, the government said. The Prime Minister will also launch inland waterways terminal on river Ganga.

"Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation, two important national highways in Varanasi, having a total length of 34 kilometres and constructed at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore on Monday, the 12th of November, 2018," Ministry of Road Transpsort and Highways said in a statement Tuesday. 

The 16.55 km Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been completed at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the work of four-laning and construction of 17.25 km Babatput-Varanasi road on NH-56 has cost Rs 812.59 crore. 

The PM will be accompanied by UP Governor Ram Naik, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it said adding, the function will be held in the afternoon at Ring Road Tiraha, Hardua, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

"The 16.55 km Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been completed at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the work of four-laning and construction of 17.25 km Babatput-Varanasi road on NH-56 has cost Rs 812.59 crore," the statement said.

The Babatpur Airport highway will link Varanasi to the airport and go on to Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With a flyover at Harhua and a railway overbridge (ROB) at Tarna, the road will reduce the travel time from Varanasi to the airport.

"The Ring Road, with two ROBs and a flyover, will provide a way for traffic on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 ( Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 ( Gorakhpur-Varanasi ) and Ayodhya - Varanasi highways to by pass Varanasi city, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the city," the statement said.

This will reduce travel time, fuel usage and pollution in the area. The ring road will provide easier and more convenient access to Sarnath, an important site for Buddhist pilgrimage.

The statement said the projects will also provide increased employment opportunities, development of small and medium industries and give a boost to economic development in the area.

"There are currently NH projects of total length 2,833 km, costing Rs 63,885 crore underway to link Varanasi to other places in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Of these fifteen road projects of 1,143 kilometre length are under various stages of construction.

These include Varanasi-Jaunpur, Varanasi - Sultanpur, Sultanpur-Lucknow, Varanasi Ghaghra Bridge, Varanasi-Azamgarh among others," the statement said. A sum of Rs 3,0227 crore is likely to be spent on these, it said adding, besides these, there are seven targeted projects of 235 km costing Rs 8,265 crore. 

"Also, 20 projects are in DPR stage for constructing 1,455 km roads at a cost of Rs 25,323 crore. This way, a total of 2,833 km roads costing Rs 63,885 crore are in the pipeline in the Varanasi area," the statement said.

In a separate event the same day, the Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation an inland waterways terminal on river Ganga in Varanasi, the statement said.

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This is the first of the four multi-modal terminals being constructed on NW-I (River Ganga) as part of the World Bank aided Jal Marg Vikas project of the Inland Waterways Authority of India. The other three terminals are under construction at Sahibganj, Haldia and Gazipur.

The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 DWT on river Ganga.  Modi will also receive the country's first container consignment (post independence) to be sent on an inland waterways vessel. This consignment containing cargo of the food and beverage company Pepsico set sail from Kolkata in the last week of October.