Inland Waterways : Booster for Indian Economy

The inland waterways are getting to be a critical addition to the country's infrastructure and may boost the economy. Indian Government ready to develop many terminals under this project. These 111 waterways will undergo 24 states and two Union Territories (20,274 km) and involve 138 river systems, creeks, estuaries, and canal systems.

The Varanasi terminal will reinforce a significant transport artery of India. The terminal will help correct India's transport modal mix that imposes huge logistics costs on the economy. At 14 percent of GDP, the logistics costs in India are about twice within the US, according to the shipping ministry. It will enable movement of cargo from Ludhiana in Punjab to Haldia in West Bengal and further east because it'll complement the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) project. EDFC could also be a freight-specific railway corridor that may run from Ludhiana to Dankuni in West Bengal.

According to a ministry official, the worth of transportation by waterways is 33-55 paisa per tonne per km only, compared to Rs 1 PTPK for rail, and Rs 1.6 PTPK for the road. That's a gorgeous offering for state governments also as private businesses. Stone chips, cement, food grains, fertilizers, sugar, etc. are a variety of the items expected to be shipped through waterways.

Once operational, the waterway will form a neighborhood of the larger multi-modal transport network being planned along the river. it'll meet with the Eastern Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor, also just like the area’s existing network of highways. This web of water, road, and rail arteries will help the region’s industries and manufacturing units switch seamlessly between different modes of transport as they send their goods to markets in India and abroad. 

The major logistics boost within eastern India also will favor India's trade with its eastern neighbors. it'll function as a link to  Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other east and south-east Asian countries through the Kolkata Port and Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.