It was reported that the pilot movement was flagged off by the Minister of Shipping, Ports, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, at G.R. Jetty in Kolkata on December 15. The movement marked a significant milestone, with the first cement company, UltraTech, transporting a large consignment of mineral gypsum at scale via National Waterway 1 (NW-1).
UltraTech’s involvement in the pilot was supported by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Inland & Coastal Shipping Ltd, a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). The consignment was being transported from Haldia port in West Bengal to the Gaighat terminal in Patna, Bihar, and was destined for Pataliputra Cement Works, UltraTech’s cement grinding unit in Patna district, Bihar, as stated by the company.
The company also noted that the use of inland waterways, as opposed to roadways and railways, would significantly reduce carbon emissions and help alleviate congestion on roads and rail routes.
The company further mentioned that UltraTech’s participation in the pilot movement supported the Government of India’s efforts to promote the use of inland waterways. The project was enabled by the Government’s revised Cargo Movement policy, which aligns with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. K C Jhanwar, the Managing Director of UltraTech Cement, was quoted as saying that emerging and innovative transport solutions were essential in UltraTech’s transition to more sustainable logistics practices. He expressed pride in partnering with the Government of India to promote the use of inland waterways in alignment with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and
Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Jhanwar added that the pilot movement over National Waterway 1 demonstrated UltraTech’s commitment to green logistics as a means to achieve its Net Zero goal by 2050.It was further noted that earlier in April 2023, UltraTech had used inland and coastal waterways to transport 57,000 metric tonnes of phosphogypsum from Paradeep port in Odisha to the Gujarat Cement Works in Amreli, Gujarat, marking a pioneering initiative in the country. The company stated that, guided by its Sustainable Supply Chain Framework, UltraTech aimed to build a resilient supply chain that would support its business and help mitigate risks.