The central government and the Rajasthan state government will develop an inland port in Rajasthan’s Jalor, Suresh Rawat, Minister of Water Resources for the Rajasthan government, said. The inland port will be linked to the Arabian Sea via the Kandla port of Gujarat.
The port will be developed along a 262-kilometre waterway, connecting Jalore with the Gulf of Kutch. The initiative involves dredging costs of over Rs 10,000 crore, which will facilitate cargo movement while reducing pressure on roads and railways, and providing a boost to trade, industrial development, and logistics connectivity in the state.
The Rajasthan state government is expected to provide about 14 km of land for the development of the port. Upon completion, the port will be operated by the state government.
IIT Madras has prepared and submitted the draft of the Detailed Project Report for the project. The Rajasthan government is currently studying the reports and will comment on them after conducting field visits. After the state government’s observation of the report, the project is expected to move forward.
Connectivity boost
“The inland port will open new avenues for industries in Jalore, Barmer, and surrounding regions, including textiles, stone, agricultural products, oilseeds, guar, pulses, and millet,” Rawat said.
He said that the ongoing HPCL-Rajasthan oil refinery projects in Pachpadra (Balotra) will also benefit from faster and more cost-effective transportation.
The inland port will link the Jawai-Luni-Run of the Kutch river system, which has already been declared National Waterway-48 by the Government of India. The connectivity is expected to encourage the establishment of new industries, warehouses, cold storage facilities and industrial clusters in the state.
Direct maritime connectivity is expected to attract investors and further industrial development.
An MoU was signed in Mumbai between the Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority and the Inland Waterways Authority of India last month.