IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR IAS AND RAS EXAMS Workshop on Integrated National Waterways Transportation A day-long workshop was organized recently by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to deliberate upon the concept of a potentially significant waterways transport grid within the larger framework of an Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid. Inland Water Transport (IWT) can reduce investment needs in rail and road infrastructure, enhance intra-regional trade and through increased economies of scale, significantly reduce transport costs for the benefit of the entire economy and India’s global trade competitiveness. To capture the full potential of the country in this sector, an effective participation of private sector is a necessity. Finance Minister, in his budget speech for 2014-15, announced that a project on the river Ganga called Jal Marg Vikas (National Waterways 1) would be developed between Allahabad and Haldia with the assistance of World Bank to cover a distance of 1620 km, which would enable commercial navigation of at least 1500 ton vessels. The project will be completed over a period of six years at an estimated cost of Rs. 4200 crore. The initial project related activities are in full swing. The possibility of multi model logistics at Varanasi with road and rail connectivity is being contemplated. IWAI is engaged in the process of policy initiatives on modernization of best practices, cargo movement, contemporary river conservancy and training methodologies, and sensitizing State Governments on policy changes regarding classification of rivers, regulations, development and maintenance of waterways in the states. Consultancy to State Governments in building their capacity for handling waterways is high on the future agenda of IWAI. The third in the series, the workshop was divided into technical and interactive sessions. During the technical sessions, presentations were made on subjects like Transportation of Coal from Sand Heads to Farakka, Capacity Augmentation of National Waterway and Global Scenario regarding Inland Water Transport. IWAI has been continuously striving to develop National Waterways through maintenance of fairways, river conservancy works including hydrographic surveys, dredging etc. that are done throughout the year. River notices containing latest depth in the fairway are issued on a fortnightly basis for the entire stretch of the National Waterways. Navigation Charts and day and night navigational facilities are available for speedier and safer navigation. Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is being installed in a phased manner covering the entire stretch of National Waterway-1 & 2. IWAI is also in the process of providing world class River Information System on National Waterways in a phased manner. Seven base stations have already been established on Haldia-Farakka stretch. PPP models for the construction of terminals, operation and maintenance as well as monitoring are being explored by IWAI. A recent and important development in the IWT sector has been the trans-shipment of imported coal to NTPCs Farakka Thermal Power Station through National Waterway-1 consequent to the tri-partite agreement between NTPC, IWAI and Jindal ITF. 21 million tons of imported coal is expected to be moved in the next seven years on this waterway. Movement of fertilizers upstream for Tata Chemicals Ltd and downstream for IIFCO on National Waterway-1 recently has been another success story. An inland water transit and trade protocol exists between India and Bangladesh which enables the two governments to make mutually beneficial arrangements for use of their waterways for commerce. More than 18 lakh tons of fly ash has been transported between Kolkata/Haldia and Bangladesh in the past year. 10 thousand tonnes of foodgrains was moved from Kakinada to Agartala utilizing the coastal and inland waterways route, with trans-shipment at Ashuganj river terminal in Bangladesh under one-time permission by Government of Bangladesh.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 06:10:35 +0000
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