National Waterway - Govt launches outreach campaign
Published: Jul 19, 2018
By TIOLCORPLAWS News Service
NEW DELHI, JULY 19, 2018: In a bid to help push rural economy to connect with waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has set out on a massive public outreach initiative along river Ganga on National Waterway-1. As part of a month long dialogue series extending from Varanasi to Haldia, a team of IWAI on July 17 and 18, held two day long outreach with villagers - farmers and traders, from Zamania, Kataria, Puraina, Sarai Mohammadpur, Chochakpur, Jallapur, Dungerpur in Ghazipur district.
The Rs 5369 cr Jal Marg Vikas Project on river Ganga is going to create more than 1.5 Lakh direct and indirect employment in the four states it traverses and the dialogue process has been initiated to bring the beneficiaries to the fold of inclusive development. In Uttar Pradesh alone, 50,000 employments would be created, according to a Wold Bank Economic analysis on Jal Marg Vikas Project.
This Eastern Uttar Pradesh pocket along the Ganga has rich agricultural produce that include green chillies, tomato, brinjal, onions, cauliflowers, banana and papaya in huge quantity but due to the non-existence of a good supply chain, and owing to lack of connectivity and storage infrastructure, the produce reaches local mandis and other cities' markets with difficulty and goods often perish. IWAI is making a Rs 155 cr Inter Modal Terminal at Ghazipurunder the Jal Marg Vikas project, which would provide direct and seamless access to this area's markets to Bay of Bengal through National Waterway-1.
Even as the JMVP would facilitate seamless movement of large freight from Varanasi to Haldia, IWAI has also assessed the need to make smaller interventions for the benefit of local communities and farmers along the bank of Ganga. Ferry sevices, small jetties and vessels are being worked out to facilitate the movement of smaller cargo like agricultural produces, vegetables, dairy products, and others.