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24/10/24 09:39 AM IST

Bihar gets its first dry port

In News
  • Bihar Industry minister Nitish Mishra recently inaugurated the state’s first dry port at Bihta, a town near state capital Patna. 
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.
  • It was a much needed initiative for a state like Bihar, where its export items — mainly agro-based, garments and leather products — are manufactured in diverse locations.
  • Now, cargo from various shippers can be consolidated at the dry port, making it easier to transport.
  • The best part of a dry port is that it handles customs clearance procedures, reducing congestion at seaports/airports.
  • Overall, a dry port was needed in Bihar to streamline cargo handling and transportation, lowering transportation costs, and securing storage and handling.
  • The Bihta dry port is spread over seven acres.
  • It is being run in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by Pristine Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited and the state industry department.
  • ICD Bihta is fully commissioned and approved under the department of revenue, Union ministry of finance.
  • It is connected by railways to gateway ports of Kolkata and Haldia in West Bengal, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra, Mundra in Gujarat, among others.
  • Catering to the entire eastern India, ICD Bihta can help neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
Export products in Bihar
  • Bihar is a major producer of fruits and vegetables such as potato, tomato, banana, litchi and makhana (fox nuts).
  • It also has significant export capacities of maize (with 11 of 38 Bihar districts focussing on maize production), sponge iron, packed food, waste paper, newsprint, rice, and meat.
  • While maize production is heavily concentrated in North Bihar districts such as Khagaria, Begusarai, Saharsa and Purnea, the state government has opened several leather and garment units in North Bihar districts of Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran.
  • Vaishali, Nalanda, Patna, and Begusarai also have vast export potential in food processing.
  • The first consignment exported from the dry port was of leather shoes, which were sent to Russia.
  • As per Bihar government data, the state recorded exports worth Rs 20,000 crore in 2022-23. Now, with the availability of ICD Bihta, the state looks at boosting its export potential.
Source- Indian Express

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