Arrah: With the objective to improve viability of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector, Union minister of power, new and renewable energy Raj Kumar Singh on Tuesday inaugurated 14 community jetties at Mahulighat in Bhojpur district of Bihar. Along with this, he laid foundation stone for two other community jetties.
The event was attended by member of the State Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mahulighat Raghavendra Pratap Singh, Bhojpur BJP president Durga Raj and senior officials of IWAI among other dignitaries.
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The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Union ministry of ports, shipping and waterways is responsible for the development and regulation of 111 National Waterways in the country. Of these, the National Waterway 1-holds strategic importance.
The Jal Marg Vikas project on NW-1 aims to improve navigability of the 1390 km stretch of NW1 from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal. The project is being implemented with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.
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Community jetties are being built under JMVP II (Arth Ganga) in order to improve socio- economic conditions of people living along NW1 (the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system). The jetties inaugurated at 14 locations will provide local farmers, traders and industries direct access to nearest markets, promote tourism and generate better employment opportunities.
Developed at a cost of ₹17.50 crore, these jetties will have facilities for passengers such as waiting hall, toilets, drinking water supply, safe and secure boarding and de boarding infrastructure. They are located at Digha, Nakhta Diyara, Raghopur Diyara, Hasanpur, Mahulighat, Panapur, Nasiriganj, Kachchi Dargah, Munger, Sultanganj, Aguani, Ramrekha Ghat, Manihari and Barh in Bihar.
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Besides this, two key announcements were also made. They were (i) Dredging (fairway development work) of Digha-Majhaua stretch of NW1, and (ii) Quick Pontoon Opening. Mechanism System (QPOM) developed by IWAI with the support of IIT Kharagpur, which will help in minimizing the time for manual dismantling and reassembly of the kulfi pontoon bridges across NW-1 thereby reducing delay as well as vehicular traffic.
These initiatives for developing inland waterway transport in the state of Bihar are expected to result in multiple economic and social benefits for the state by generating employment, promoting local tourism, supporting small-scale industries related to agro- processing like silk weaving, designing and dying, stone carving, handloom, jute wall hanging and wooden crafts. With the infrastructural interventions, transportation of raw materials and products would become easier offering safe and sustainable means of transport for livelihood and improved access to better social infrastructure.
