River information system on Lines of ATC for Inland waterways

NEW DELHI: The government will soon launch a river information system ( RIS) on the line of air traffic control for real time monitoring of ships plying on the inland waterways network.

The RIS will provide remote communication with vessels and real time meteorological data. The real time data of vessels being moved on a particular stretch will also be available online.

The shipping ministry will also make it mandatory for medium and big size vessels to equip themselves with the communication and operator consoles needed to set up contact with RIS. All navigable river stretches are proposed to have ship traffic controllers on the same model as air traffic controllers.

“The RIS has been established to track the vessels and advise them about nearby vessels, waterway information, meteorological information and river safety for ensuring efficient and collision free navigation,” a senior government official told ET.

To start with, the river information system will be made operational on the 500 km long Haldia-Farakka route on National waterways 1 ( Ganga). Radars and sensors will be installed along the route and there will be major base stations to monitor the movement.

“There was no system available to monitor and manage the vessel traffic on our rivers. With Inland waterways network being increased to 111 rivers, we’ll need a robust system to manage the traffic,” the official said

The government estimates the movement of coal, steel and fly ash will increase on waterways due to the cost advantage its provide. Currently, there is no system to monitor the traffic on inland waterways. India currently has six waterways which will soon be increased to 111.

RIS is already operational in different inland waterways corridors of Europe, USA and China.