Cargo movement on India’s national waterways witnessed increased 16% year-on-year during the fiscal year 2022-23, Union minister for ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
“The traffic between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia (NW-1) increased from 10.93 million ton in 2021-22 to 13.17 million ton in 2022-23 recording an increase of 20.52%,” Sonowal added.
To augment the capacity of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) connecting Haldia to Varanasi, covering a distance of 1390 km, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is actively implementing the ambitious Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). Estimated at a cost of Rs. 4633.81 crore, the project aims to enhance transport efficiency and reliability along the waterway, promoting eco-friendly and cost-effective cargo movement.
The comprehensive Jal Marg Vikas Project encompasses several vital components to achieve its objectives. These include the establishment of multimodal terminals at strategic locations, namely Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia, along with the introduction of an intermodal terminal at Kalughat.
Additionally, the project entails fairway development and the deployment of advanced navigational facilities, such as channel marking, day/night navigational aids, and river information system, to ensure seamless navigation.
The inclusion of community jetties, a new navigational lock at Farakka, and modernization of the existing navigational lock there fortify the project’s commitment to a streamlined cargo movement process.