The World Bank has evinced interest in development of National Waterway No 5 in the river Brahmani in the Talcher-Dhamra-Paradip stretch for navigation as the State Government asked the Commerce and Transport Department to update the detailed project report (DPR) for assessing the multi-crore project for adoption as a model for implementation.
According to World Bank experts, the 323-km Talcher-Paradip-Dhamra stretch out of the total 623-km National Waterway-5 is the most economically viable stretch and the estimated project cost for development for navigation would be around `5,000 crore.
Since development of the proposed navigation project is not within the financial feasibility of the State and the Union Governments, the World Bank has taken interest in the project through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) by involving the State Government and other stakeholders, public and private sector companies in the hinterland, said Chief Engineer, Project and Marine, Inland Waterways Authority of India S Dandapat.
Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik held a high-level meeting at the State Secretariat here on Thursday by involving technical and financial experts, representatives of potential users like Nalco and Mahanadi Coalfield limited (MCl), perspective financers and World Bank representatives to explore the possibility of developing one of the six viable National Waterways in the river Brahmani in view of large-scale transport and traffic potentials of the State. The Chief Secretary told reporters that the Commerce and Transport Department and the IDCO were asked to update the DPR prepared by the WAPCO, a professional consultancy firm, in the changing industrial and commercial scenario so as to finalise the model for implementation of the navigation project. Patnaik said the probability and feasibility of different partnership models were put by financial experts and World Bank experts and it was considered that a joint venture through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) would be the most suitable model. However, nothing has been finalised yet and another meeting would be held to arrive at a concrete decision after receipt of the DPR, he said.
The World Bank that evinced interest in providing financial assistance for the project has proposed to look into the course of the Brahmani river and visit Dhamara Port to have a field assessment of the proposed project.
According to official sources, out of total six National Waterways in India, Waterway-5 has been identified in Odisha. The experts from Government of India and professional consultancy firm WAPCO had already prepared a DPR for the river Brahmani which covers a length of 588 km out of which 371 km is river portion and 217 km is canal portion.
Brahmani-Kharsuan-Mahanadi river systems mainly constitute the river portion to be developed for the waterway. The project envisages connecting the waterway areas in Geonkhali- Charbatia-Dhamara-Mangalagadi- Mahanadi Delta-Paradeep-Talcher and Jokadia.
According to Dandpat, the National Waterway No-5 is likely to be most used waterway at par with NW-1 on theGanges. The project is essential from the view points of industrial infrastructure of the State. The coal, coke, fertilizer, cement, mineral iron, steel and aluminum are the important cargo for this waterway.
He said that initially estimated 25 million tones of cargo can be transported per annum through this route which will increase up to 42 million tones by the year 2023.
Besides, the agricultural products like paddy, rice, straw, animal, fodder, jute, coconut fish products, house building materials, finished products and cruise parties for tourism will add to the traffic also.
For successful navigation, it required to put up at least five
barrages along Brahmani in the stretch from Talcher to Jokadia. An estimated Rs 2,500 crore is required of the total estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for construction of the barrages to facilitate flow of water up to 3 meters for the sailing of the cargo vessels.
Dandpat said the waterway development would help in providing water for drinking purposes, irrigation and for industrial uses. Besides, it would help industrial units likeMCl, Nalco, several industrial units in Talcher and Angul region, besides the existing 31 industrial houses in Kalinga Nagar for transportation of their cargos which would be most economical.