In a concerted effort to drive cooperative and sustainable growth in the maritime sector, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) organised a roadshow for the upcoming Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS)-2023 at the Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) here on Monday. Led by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal, the event also saw the presence of key figures, including representatives from governments of UP and Nepal.
Speaking on occasion, Sonowal announced plans to construct a world-class cruise terminal in Varanasi for expansion of river cruise tourism via waterways in the city. He further alluded to facilitation of the movement of goods to and from Nepal via waterways. “In the heart of Varanasi, the cradle of our civilisation, we embarked on a transformative journey to shape India’s destiny. Under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world. Waterways and logistics are the bedrock of our economic growth, and the GMIS-2023 is the catalyst for partnership and realising the shared vision of generating investment of `10 lakh crore and creating more than 15 lakh employment avenues for the youth of this nation,” said the Union Minister. He elaborated on the government’s commitment to create a sustainable and modern ecosystem by stating, “the Jal Marg Vikas Project and Arth Ganga initiative are tangible testaments to our dedication. Our multi-modal terminals, innovative Ganga river transport and modernisation of 60 community jetties are bolstering industries and preserving our cultural heritage. We’re fostering regional cooperation with neighbouring countries and offering exciting cruises on the Ganga. This transformation is green and sustainable and aligns with our environmental stewardship commitment. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is constructing an Inter Modal Terminal at Kalughat, Bihar. The terminal is slated for completion by December 2023 and is set to revolutionise freight movement by connecting Nepal to Kalughat through road and Kalughat to Haldia via waterways.” He further added, “India is also pioneering in the tourism sector with MV Ganga Vilas completing world’s longest river cruise. We are creating a viable ecosystem and modernising all ports across the country be it for cargo movement, transportation of goods or reduction of costs. Under the visionary guidance of the PM, we have made significant progress in the inland waterways, coastal shipping and seaways through multiple projects across the country. With the PM Gati Shakti initiative, we have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in waterways-centric transport, doubling the multimodal freight share to 12 per cent and reducing logistics costs. We are confident of attaining the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission and ‘Net-zero’ goals by 2047 and leading India towards a resilient and self-reliant future.”
Anchored by the IWAI. the roadshow served as a precursor to the highly anticipated 3rd GMIS-2023 slated to occur between October 17 and 19 at MMRDA Ground, BKC, Mumbai. The summit, organised in partnership with FICCI, strives to foster connections, advance collaborative endeavours and spark innovation, all encapsulated under the overarching theme of ‘Connect, Collaborate & Create.’
During his welcome address, IWAI Chairman Sanjay Bandopadhyay said, “We celebrate IWAI’s remarkable achievements: `1,517 crore to ` 5,210.81 crore in nine years, 16 per cent (pc) growth in cargo movement (315 pc increase since 2014-15), river cruise tourism flourishes, international cooperation with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan.” The IWAI has facilitated development of two private terminals at Maia, West Bengal for transport of cargo using river Ganga/Padma up to Sultanganj and Godagari (in Bangladesh). Maia has been declared as Customs Port under Section-7 of Indian Customs Act which has divertible potential of cargo of about 2.6 million metric tonnes, mainly stone chips. The transportation on this route shall be commenced shortly in consultation with Bangladesh. On the occasion an agreement was signed between IWAI and Government of Uttar Padesh for operation of electric catamarans at Varanasi, Ayodhya and Mathura. Also, recently, the IWAI initiated operationalisation of NWs through PPP mode in the state of Maharashtra since 13 rivers has been declared as NWs vide the National Waterways Act. 2016. IWAI is working towards executing coal transportation projects using inland water transport across the Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers to facilitate the efficient movement of coal, minerals and commodities from Talcher mines to Paradip and Dhamra ports in collaboration with Inland Waterways Consortium of Odisha Limited (IWCOL) with Coal India Ltd, Govt of Odisha and Paradip Port Authority. Speaking at the roadshow, Bipin Rajbhandari, Registrar, Nepal Panijahaj Karyalaya (Nepal Shipping Office), Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Nepal said, “Nepal is the centre of all maritime activities, especially with India. Our aim is to propel the sector towards excellence in the future and have already announced multiple initiatives for navigation purposes in the travel, tourism and trade segment.” He also expressed his gratitude towards the Government of India for signing a special trade agreement with Nepal, aimed at faster and easier movement of goods via waterways. He added, “This agreement will not only create greater collaboration opportunities for both the nations in the trade and tourism sectors but also help in capacity building and training of the existing workforce for further expansion of the maritime sectors across geographies. The Kalughat Terminal, situated at the North banks of the river Ganga (NW-1), has a budget of `82.48 crore and can handle 77,000 TEUs.” The roadshow was also graced by dignitaries including UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’ and Joint Secretary (IWT), MoPSW, R Lakshmanan, JS (IWT), MoPSW, amongst others.