Why in News?

• Patna witnessed a new landmark in India’s Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector with 16 TEUs of container cargo (equivalent to 16 truckloads) belonging to food giants PepsiCo India and EmamiAgrotech Ltd from Kolkata reaching the city’s Gaighat IWT terminal on river Ganga.

Highlights:

• Patna and upcoming IWAI terminal at Kalughat to emerge as new hub for trade up to Nepal with river Gandak announced as National Waterway 37
• Plans are at an advanced stage to operationalize Patna-Varanasi sector of NW-1 for container cargo movement. Container cargo transport comes with several inherent advantages
• It also reduces the handling cost, allows easier modal shift, reduces pilferages and damage, it also enables cargo owners to reduce their carbon footprints.
• The Ministry of Shipping is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi (1390 Km) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5369 crore.