GUWAHATI— In a landmark development for India’s inland waterways, the maiden voyage under the Jalvahak scheme was successfully completed as MV Trishul, accompanied by dumb barges Ajay and Dikshu, transported 1,500 tonnes of cement from Kolkata to Guwahati’s Pandu port via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
The Jalvahak scheme, part of India’s push for sustainable logistics, incentivizes long-haul cargo movement on National Waterways 1 (river Ganga), National Waterways 2 (river Brahmaputra), and National Waterways 16 (river Barak). The Fixed Day Scheduled Sailing Service ensures reliable freight operations on key stretches, including Kolkata-Patna-Varanasi and Kolkata-Pandu via IBPR.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, lauded the achievement as a major milestone for the nation’s logistics sector. “The successful completion of MV Trishul’s voyage demonstrates the vast potential of inland waterways as a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient mode of transportation, reducing congestion on roads and railways,” he said.
Sonowal emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming logistics under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The Jalvahak scheme aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of sustainable and efficient transportation, providing businesses with a dependable logistics alternative while empowering vessel operators.”
The collaboration between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Inland and Coastal Shipping Limited (ICSL), a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India Limited, underscores the government’s focus on modernizing and optimizing waterway infrastructure.
The introduction of scheduled freight services, with its emphasis on timely cargo delivery, is expected to bolster confidence among stakeholders and catalyze further investments in the sector. This initiative represents a pivotal step toward realizing India’s goal of becoming a developed nation, harnessing the power of sustainable transportation solutions.