Description

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Context:

The dry port in Bihta is being seen as the Bihar government's big initiative to boost exports.

About Bihta dry port

Partnership Model	Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Commissioning Status	Fully commissioned and approved.
Approving Authority	Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance.
Managing Entity	Pristine Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited in collaboration with Bihar state industry department.
Rail Connectivity	Connected to gateway ports across India.
Ports Connected	Kolkata and Haldia (West Bengal), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Nhava Sheva (Maharashtra), Mundra (Gujarat).
Geographical Coverage	Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha.
Economic Role	Supports transportation of goods to and from eastern India.

What is a dry port?

A dry port, or inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage, and transportation. It acts as a bridge between sea/air ports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods. The best part of a dry port is that it handles customs clearance procedures, reducing congestion at seaports/airports.

There are over 330 dry ports operational in India. The first dry port in India was opened in Varanasi in 2018.

Inland Ports in India:

PPP in Dry Ports in India

Inland Port	Location	Specific Fact
Tughlakabad ICD	Tughlakabad, Delhi	Largest inland container depot in Northern India.
Dadri ICD	Dadri, Uttar Pradesh	Key hub for container transportation in NCR.
Loni ICD	Loni, Uttar Pradesh	Significant dry port for handling export-import cargo.
Sanand ICD	Sanand, Gujarat	Located near key industrial regions of Gujarat.
Whitefield ICD	Whitefield, Bengaluru	Critical for cargo movement in South India.
Concor ICD	Tughlakabad, Delhi	Managed by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
Dighi ICD	Pune, Maharashtra	Facilitates trade for Pune's industrial belt.

ALSO VISIT-

India's Maritime, Port, Shipping Sector

India's Port Development

MAJOR SEA PORTS IN INDIA

Land Ports Authority of India

Reference:

https://unctad.org/system/files/non-official-document/tlb_2022-12-07_p03_ASCELA_en.pdf

Source:

INDIAN EXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Examine the significance of the proposed inland port in Bihar in transforming the state's economic landscape. Discuss the potential benefits it offers for trade along with the challenges for its successful implementation. (250 words)