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The Ganga Jal Marg Vikas Yojana is said to be a major revenue booster for Haldia port in West Bengal. The project entailing an investment of ₹4,200 crore, envisages efficient river freight operations from Allahabad (UP) to Haldia (WB), covering a distance of 1,620 km.
River transport contributes a mere 7 per cent of total cargo transportation in India. This is substantially lower than developed countries and even China.
Approximately 40 per cent of 4,500 million tonnes of coal production in China is ferried through rivers. In contrast, 80 per cent of India’s 600 mt annual coal production is moved by the Railways.
The Ganga Jal Marg Vikas Yojana is expected to boost coal movements through inland water. A step in this direction has already been taken by NTPC, which is moving imported coal to Farakka Power Station through the Ganges.
The project will also help efficient movement of over-dimensional cargo (ODC), like large power equipment, which is difficult to move by road. India, started using this option since 2009 when it moved huge ODC cargo for the OTPC Power Station in Tripura.
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