Declaring that the Union Government was thinking about amphibian service between Varanasi and Malda, Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the first phase of the inland waterways on Ganga between Haldia and Varanasi would be completed within next three years.
“We are moving on right direction. The Government wants to make available inland water transportation service. Even we are contemplating to start amphibian services between Varanasi and Malda,” the Minister said on Tuesday. The Minister said that all the projects taken up by the NDA Government, including the ongoing projects of highways in the country would be completed within next three years. “Our focus is on inland waterways as it is the cheapest mode of transport,” Gadkari said. “We have already floated tenders of different infrastructure to be developed for the first phase of the Haldia-Varanasi inland waterways which will be completed in time,” he said while announcing that Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) services would be launched on Patna-Haldia route soon.
Under ro-ro service ships will carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle. This will emerge as a self-propelled modular transportation system, he said. “This service will make the transport system cheaper as per km expenditure on waterways is just 15 to 20 paisa while the road transport takes Rs1 to Rs2 per km,” he said. Under the inland water projects, there would be 30 water ports, 25 water malls and 3 multi-model hubs in the Haldia-Varanasi waterways covering 1620 kms. The multi-model hubs would be
constructed in Varanasi, Sahabganj and Haldia at a cost of around Rs1,000 crore.
“We have already inaugurated the Haldia-Farraka section while the work on Farraka-Patna section was underway. The work for Patna-Varanasi section would start soon,” he said. The minister claimed that the project of Nirmal Ganga would also be implemented within the tenure of the NDA government. “Hovercraft and Beach craft would also be introduced in the rivers to attract tourism,” he said.
The Union Minister who had a meeting with party workers, however, refused to take political question. “BJP’s position in UP is very strong. You do not have to ponder about it,” he said.