Why The Haldia-Varanasi Inland Waterway Is More Important Than You Think

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the key Haldia-Varanasi waterway on 12 November in Varanasi. The project involves construction of three multi-modal terminals - at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia, two inter-modal terminals and five roll-on-roll-off or Ro-Ro terminal pairs.

Transportation through waterways can also greatly reduce the burden on Indian Roadways and Railways. The objective of the project is to promote inland waterways as a reasonable and an eco-friendly means of transportation.

Currently, only 3 per cent of India’s transportation load is borne by waterways, whilst China and the European Union have a 47 per cent and 44 per cent share respectively, thus representing a huge opportunity for improvement.