1000-DWT vessels can steer on Varanasi-Haldia stretch this year

NEW DELHI: Government expects vessels of 1,000 dead weight tonnes (DWT) to navigate by the end of this year on the Allahabad and Haldia stretch of Ganga for transportation of goods and passengers.

The 1,620-km stretch -- the National Waterway 1 -- falls under Jal Marg Vikas project that aims at providing an assured depth of 3 metres of fairway to enable safe navigation of 2,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage) vessels.

"The work has begun to augment National Waterway 1 and we expect vessels of 1000 DWT capacity to navigate this year on the Varanasi-Haldia stretch under Jal Marg Vikas Project," an official said.

The Jal Marg Vikas' project envisages developing a fairway between 1,620 km Allahabad and Haldia stretch at a cost of about Rs 4,200 crore.

The official said that once the navigation starts it will boost cargo transport through water, which is environment friendly and cost effective mode of transportation.

The World Bank is providing assistance to the project.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project to be developed between Allahabad and Haldia covering a distance of 1,620 km at an estimated cost of Rs 4,200 crore, to be completed in six years.

The project would enable commercial navigation of 2,000 DWT vessels.

The central government has designated the IWAI as the implementing agency, with a Project Management Unit (PMU), for the Jal Marg Vikas Project.

National Waterway-1 (NW-1) is a waterway passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, potentially serving the major cities of Haldia, Howrah, Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Patna, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Allahabad and their industrial hinterlands including several industries located along the Ganga basin.

The development of NW-1 would result in a viable supplementary mode of transport and huge quantities of bulk cargo can be transported thereby helping in economic development of this region.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IWAI and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) in March 2015 for creation of logistics hubs with rail connectivity at Varanasi and other places on the National Waterways.

As per the MoU, IWAI and DFCCIL will collaborate for the project and also facilitate business development in the hinterland and its feeder routes.