Freight Village:
- A freight village is a designated area where facilities for various modes of transportation, distribution of goods and other logistics are available in a synchronized manner on a large scale.
- The main function of freight villages is management and utilization of various modes of transport, synergizing them and decongesting the existing mode of transportation.
- Delivery and coordination of various freight related activities under one roof ensures ease of doing business.
Varanasi freight village:
- The Varanasi freight village will serve as a cargo hub, and a centre for aggregation and value addition. It will also provide support to stimulate development of a professional logistics industry in Varanasi.
- Implementing agency: It will be developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
- Why Varanasi?
- A World Bank study has found Varanasi to be a suitable site for the freight village.
- The city is a focal point in the logistics chain of Eastern Transport Corridor of India where the National Waterways-1, Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), National Highway-7 and National Highway-2 pass through.
- The volume of traffic on inland waterway to Varanasi is expected to increase with the commissioning of the multi modal terminal being built under the Jal Marg Vikas project.
