The World Bank has approved a loan of $375 million (around Rs 2,421 crore) for capacity augmentation of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) between Haldia in West Bengal and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh within the river Ganga within the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels of 1,500-2,000 deadweight tonnes capacity along a 1,390-km stretch.

Jal Marg Vikas Project is a�project within the river Ganga that envisages the roll-out of waterway between Allahabad and Haldia that hopefully will cover a distance of 1620 km. It aims in order to develop a fairway with three metres depth help commercial navigation that is at least 1500 tonne vessels within the river.� The project includes the roll-out of fairway, multi-modal terminals, strengthening of open river navigation technique, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS)�etc.

To many drug-related charges the project, Inland Waterways Authority of India will arrange a River Information Service System on NW-1, the primary of its kind in India. Besides, three multi-modal terminals, one each at Varanasi, Sahibganj (Jharkhand), Haldia; and inter-modal terminals at Kalughat and Ghazipur; a navigation lock at Farakka; and five Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) terminals could be constructed.

Need

The rail and road corridors with this region are actually crippled with heavy traffic and became saturated. Hence, the roll-out of NW-1 would pave way for a different, viable, economical, efficient and eco-friendly mode of transport.

NW-1

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

Inland Waterways Authority of India

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) could be the statutory body answerable for the waterways in India. Its headquarters is found Noida, UP. Its main function is to construct the necessary infrastructure on the inland waterways, surveying the economical feasibility of recent projects and in addition implementing administration and regulation.

River Information system (RIS)

RIS is combining modern tracking equipment comprising of hardware and software made to optimise transport and traffic processes in inland water navigation. The machine has the ability to display swift electronic data between mobile vessels and Base stations through advance and real-time exchange of information. It enables safe and efficient inland water transport by avoiding risks which includes (i) Ship-to-Ship collisions. (ii) Ship-Bridge collisions. (iii) Groundings.

Inland Waterway Authority of India (IWAI) is implementing the RIS in India.

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