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Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will furnish the future cargo projections for ports at Dhamra and Paradeep for the upcoming National Waterway (NW)-5.
Both Paradeep Port Trust (PPT) and Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DPCL) had recently inked a pact with IWAI for developing the NW-5.
The project would connect the ports at Dhamra and Paradeep with the steel and coal hinterlands at Kalinganagar and Talcher respectively.
The NW-5, targeted for completion by June 2017, is estimated to cost Rs 2,000 crore.
In the first phase, 201 km stretch of the waterway would be developed, connecting Jokadia (Kalinganagar) with Dhamra and Paradeep ports. In the second phase, another 131 km stretch will be developed, consisting of the distance from Talcher to Jokadia.
The NW-5 will facilitate unobstructed movement of cargo like coal, iron ore, steel and other products.
IWAI will provide the desired fairway from the budgetary support of government of India by way of dredging, repairing/reconstructing weirs, navigational locks and installing navigational aids.
The state government, apart from giving land to IWAI free of cost, would develop cargo terminal facilities at Pankapal/Jokadia through a joint venture (JV)/special purpose vehicle (SPV) with PPT, DPCL and other stakeholders.
Land requirement for the terminal has been projected at around 60 acres. IWAI will survey the navigational channel and the proposed terminal at Pankapal.
The state water resources department is likely to finalise a barrage at Talcher which may come up during the second phase of NW-5 between Talcher and Jokadia. The department would furnish the details to IWAI which in turn would examine and suggest any further structural requirement from inland waterway navigation point of view.
An officer from the water resources department will be nominated to liaison with the IWAI to finalise construction of Jokadia barrage. IWAI has assessed the development of this river stretch of NW-5 to be the most economically viable in the country. The NW-5 is a mega inland water transport project along the east coast canal and Brahmani-Kharsua river system. The waterway includes the Talcher-Dhamra belt of Brahmani river, Geonkhali-Charbatia stretch of East Coast Canal, Charbatia-Dhamara stretch of Matai river and Mangalgadi-Paradip stretch of Mahanadi delta rivers. Coal from Talcher to Dhamra and Paradip ports is the most important cargo for this waterway. It is estimated in the detailed project report (DPR) that about 11 million tonne of cargo can be transported per year through this waterway.
Besides key minerals like coal and iron ore, agricultural products like paddy, rice, jute coconut and fish products as well as finished and manufactured goods like fertilisers, cement, sugar, salt, asbestos sheets and textiles are likely to be carried by the proposed waterway.
