Bhubaneswar: Talcher to Paradip and Dhamra stretch of the National Waterway-5 (NW5) is set to move forward and it will soon see the light of the day, said Commerce and Transport principal secretary Usha Padhee while addressing a conference recently organised here by Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industry Ltd (UCCIL) and Forum for River and Ocean Scientists and Technologists (FROST).
Speaking at the two-day international conference on coastal and inland water transportation with a special focus on the greening of the water transport sector, Padhee said, “The Union Ministry of Shipping, Port, and Waterways, and Inland Waterways Authority of India have finalised the study and preparation of the DPR along with detailed design and engineering of the cross structures on the waterways along with the cost estimates through IIT Chennai for the development of NW-5.” The execution of the project shall be undertaken under the special purpose vehicle (SPV) composed of the state government, Ministry of Shipping and IWAI, Coal India Ltd, and Paradeep Port Trust, she added. In the seminar, along with the development of NW-5, the early development of the East Coast Canal (ECC) system and its connectivity to National Waterways 1, was emphasised to reap the benefits of inland navigation for a green transportation mode and economy in the state.
The former head of the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineer, IIT Kharagpur RP Gokarn and Indian Maritime University director Kesavadev presented their perspectives on the theme of the conference. UCCIL President Prabodh Kumar Mohanty, in his welcome address, explained the importance of the seminar for the development of industry and the state. FROST president Suresh Mishra enlightened the delegates on the requirement of green technology in marine transportation in the state. Speakers deliberated on the sustainability of water transportation in the restricted waters of rivers and coasts, particularly related to small vessels, with particular emphasis on greening the sector.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP