Inland cargo shipping formally launched at Kolkatta

Bulk movement of coal through the national waterways was formally launched on Monday with the shipping minister V K Vasan flagging off the 2,100 DWT coal barges of Jindal ITF Ltd on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System - National Waterways -1.

Jindal ITF has already started moving imported coal on National Waterway-1 from Sandheads in Bay of Bengal to Farakka Thermal Power Plant of NTPC Ltd in Murshidabad district of West Bengal using inland vessels.

Vasan termed it as a unique project where government, public and private sectors joined hands to provide a good alternative mode of transport. The Kolkatta Port Trust would also get revenue from this project, he added.

The minister also inaugurated a transport terminal of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) at the function at Garden Reach Jetty-2 in Kolkatta Port Trust area.

IWAI, Vasan said, would develop more such inter-modal transportation hubs with rail and road connectivity for movement of not only coal but also for other bulk cargo like fertilizers, foodgrains etc in due course.

This additional supply of coal through inland waterways, an eco-friendly, economical and fuel efficient mode of transport, will augment coal supply to NTPC power plant at Farakka, enabling increased power generation and employment opportunities, he noted.

The minister expressed happiness that for the first time in the country a private entrepreneur has made a substantiate investment in IWT development.

Jindal ITF Ltd has invested about Rs500 crore for the transshipment facility at Sandheads, which includes 23 coal carrying barges, inland water terminal at Farakka with state-of-art coal unloading cranes and a conveyor belt system.

The operator, Jindal ITF Ltd, will transport minimum three million tonnes of coal per annum for seven years.

At present, 10 thermal power stations are operational in the proximity of National Waterway – 1 while another 11 with total installed capacity of 15000 MW are expected to come up along the NW-1 in the next 5 to 8 years.

National Waterway – 1 is fully ready to cater to the transportation needs of NTPC and other industrial units for transportation of bulk cargo required for the plants located on the banks of the Ganga.

Inland waterways also has potential to create of employment opportunities for people in the vicinity of the waterways.