MUMBAI: Transporting cargo and ferrying passengers on Maharashtra’s rivers is likely to begin in a few years, with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) deciding to set up four National Waterways (NW) in the State. Besides these, three NWs are also being planned in the neighbouring State of Goa.
Pravir Pandey, vice-chairman, IWAI, said, “We have identified eight to nine rivers in Maharashtra. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) and environment study are at an advanced stage. By June 2017, we will have a clear picture. However, we are certain that we are going ahead with four NWs in Maharashtra.”
The rivers chosen for these national waterways include the Amba (NW 10) with a 42-km waterway. The NW 28 will use the Dabhol Creek-Vashishti, Revadanda Creek-Kundalika for the NW 85 and the Savitri Bankot Creek NW 89. Mr. Pandey said IWAI will be signing MoUs with the Maharashtra Maritime Board for developing these waterways.
The IWAI is also signing tripartite agreements with Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and the Captain of Ports Department, Government of Goa for three NWs in Goa. These are the NW 68 on the Mandovi, NW 111 on the Zuari and NW 27 on the Cumbarjua Canal. “Waterways in Maharashtra and Goa are very important. For Amba, we have already held discussions with the stakeholders. There have been demands for terminals and jetties, which need to be built. We will also modernise some of the existing terminals, which are presently in bad shape. The DPR is being prepared,” Mr. Pandey said. He added that DPRs are ready for Mandovi and Zuari rivers, and work is expected to start soon on them.
The IWAI has started work to develop waterways on 106 rivers. This is in addition to five NWs being set up on major rivers, including the Ganga, Bramhaputra and the Mahanadi. The NW1 coming up on the Ganga is expected to cost ₹5,369 crore to develop. It will be 1,400 km in length and connect Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Hooghly in Bengal. The World Bank is funding 50% of this project, which is expected to be completed in 2021.
The Union government has promised to transport cargo at 2 paise per ton per km on waterways, thus reducing logistics cost and curbing pollution by taking pressure off the highways. The IWAI is also planning to develop recreational facilities at terminals and jetties for extra revenue, which can be used to subsidise cargo tariff. Cold storage and related facilities will also come up at these spots.
Rohit Chaturvedi, Managing Partner, Kitoz Management Advisory, a consultancy focused on transportation and logistics, and former director, CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory said national waterways are a welcome step towards development of multimodal transportation across Maharashtra.
“It assumes greater importance as the terrains covered by identified rivers/ creeks are difficult to reach by either roads or railway. Though the road conditions are good, their tortuous nature and hilly rides make the journey difficult between any two points in Maharashtra. The proposed waterways may offer an alternative to the available options,” Mr. Chaturvedi said.
He, however, sounded a note of caution saying all stretches may not be commercially viable in the foreseeable future. “For example, the proposed NWs on the Savitri and Kundalika rivers may merely provide an option for passenger movements, and may also act as a good tourist attraction. On the other hand, an NW on the Amba river may provide good opportunity for growth to the hinterland. Since Amba connects larger towns like Nagothane to Rewas Creek (and thus the port), availability of cheap and reliable transport could provide potential for industrial development to these locations with good basic social infrastructure.”
Similarly ,industrial town of Chiplun may get a shot in arm with the development of NW on Vashisthi river. Consignments can move from the industries to as far as JNPT using river-sea route ( river + coastal movement) .
There are other common advantages of NW such as eco -friendly nature of water based movement and lower transportation cost (though construction and maintenance of Infra may be prohibitive)
Mr. Chaturvedi said development of waterways must be done carefully as they have been proposed in eco-sensitive areas. Regular dredging, he said, may negatively affect marine life and other organisms dependent on the waterway’s existing characteristics. In addition, unfettered industrial and commercial activity can damage the fragile zone.
Lastly, the development should weigh pros and cons of the development and a decision should be taken based on holistic view.
