Addressing a function at Kalughat near Parmanandpur in Saran district in Bihar, Mr Sonowal said waterways are a very important resource and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed on harnessing it. He said that this will boost trade and commerce in the country. He also said that inland waterways can also boost tourism which was successfully demonstrated during the visit of MV-Ganga Vilas river cruise last year.
Inaugurating the newly constructed Kalughat Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) Terminal on National Waterway-1 (NW-1), the Union Minister said that cargo transportation is cheaper and more economical as compared to rail and road transportation. He said it also removed the hurdles of varying permit systems for vessels from one state to another. He said, with new initiatives and construction of multimodal and intermodal terminals, India is going to become a major power in the field of river routes and maritime cargo handling. He said that 10 years ago there were only 5 NWs in the country, which have now reached 111 due to the efforts of the Modi government. He said dredging and desilting work would be carried out to ensure depth of the river for uninterrupted navigation of ships.
Earlier, he inaugurated the Intermodal Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) Terminal, constructed at a cost of Rs 82.48 crore. He also dedicated 14 community ghats constructed at a cost of Rs 17.50 crore on NW-1, besides laying the foundation stone of two community ghats on NW-37 at Mangalpur and Bettiah in West Champaran. Kalughat will provide seamless connectivity to vessels from Haldia and Kolkata ports with Inland Waterway Transport Terminal NW-1. The new intermodal terminal will increase cargo handling capacity on inland waterways. It is connected to National Highway-19 and has all types of modern cargo handling facilities. With better connectivity, it will also enhance trade and commerce, especially for shipments to Nepal through Raxaul and the hinterland of northern Bihar.