Arresting the drift

When a private vessel began its pilot journey two weeks back from East Midnapore, along the Rupnarayan river (National Waterway 86) to Bhagalpur on the Ganga (National Waterway 1) with a cement consignment, it was a watershed event in the history of India’s inland waterways. While this marked a movement across two waterways, a vessel carrying cement went up the Ganga, from Haldia to Patna, earlier this year. The Centre has said that cargo movement along the Ganga will become a regular feature. The Modi government is making a concerted effort to raise the share of inland waterways in freight traffic from 2-3 per cent levels (coastal shipping accounts for a similar proportion), in view of its energy efficiency and lower carbon footprint vis-à-vis road and even rail transport. In China, 47 per cent of its domestic freight traffic moves by water, while in the US it is 12 per cent. To this end, the Centre has passed the National Waterways Act 2016, which categorises 106 new rivers as national waterways (adding to the existing five riverine and canal systems), allowing the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to develop these for shipping. The advantages of raising the share of waterways in the transport mix are obvious. A World Bank study points out that a litre of fuel can move 105 tonne-km by inland water transport, against 85 tonne-km by rail and 24 tonne-km by road. Likewise, the carbon emission per tonne km is 32-36 gms in the case of container vessels, against 51-91 gms in the case of road transport vehicles. Reduced congestion on roads and fewer accidents are an added advantage.

A growing economy needs to take an integrated and long-term view of developing transport infrastructure so that there is seamless connectivity across different modes as well as balanced, planned and coordinated development across regions. This has been a casualty in transport policy, manifested perhaps by the failure of several PPP projects in roads. An integrated Union transport ministry could address this failing. The 2014 report of the National Transport Policy Development Committee estimates that to achieve industrial growth of 10 per cent over the next two decades, public and private investment in transport will have to increase at least threefold over this period, from ₹20 trillion in the 12th Plan.

However, in moving ahead, two issues need to be considered: first, the rights of States and local communities over water resources and second, the ecological consequences of movement of heavy vessels in particular. The impact of dredging and barrages on river flows (Farakka being an example) and direction, aquatic life and the livelihoods of citizens dependent on the river is an important aspect. A Standing Committee report has pointed to the need to regenerate rainfed rivers and take into account the rights of States with respect to irrigation and provision of drinking water. It rightly suggests a regulator with both Central and State government representatives to address a gamut of concerns.

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