With major tenders for the first phase of the National Waterways 1 to be awarded by next month, the project’s civil construction is expected to be completed between December 2018 and March 2019. Among the facilities being planned are 24x7 river navigational facilities. Contracts worth Rs.1,509 crores would be awarded for building three multi-modal terminals, a new navigational lockgate at Farakka and for river-dredging. It will create a 1400-km water highway from Allahabad to Haldia, said Amitabh Verma, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India. — Special Correspondent
