As we now know, India has a vast network of inland waterways of 14,500 km. Over time, rivers have been efficient at carrying loads long distances. Even today, many countries rely heavily on inland waterways for transporting large and bulky goods. Talking about economics, inland waterways are much cheaper, reliable and also less polluting means of transporting goods than the most commonly used rails or roads in India. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayDespite all the above, India has not yet succeeded in developing this cheap and eco-friendly mode of transportation. Despite congestion and higher costs, goods in India continue to travel by road and rail. It also adds more uncertainty and, in some or most cases, also takes more time, thereby increasing the cost. The logistics cost in India is such that it represents around 18% of the country's GDP. It's not that we've always been dependent on roads and railways: a hundred years ago, the Ganges was a busy waterway. The arrival of the railway and the development of the road network in India caused the river to fall into disuse. For all the reasons mentioned, the Indian government is reviving the Ganges watercourse. It is known as National Waterway 1 and will transport goods from the eastern seaport of Haldia to Varansi, which is about 1,360 km inland. It has the potential to become one of the main arteries of northern India. The stretch between Kolkata and Delhi covers the most densely populated areas of India. 40% of all goods traded in India originate from or are destined to end up there. This green resource zone generates around 370 million tonnes of freight per year, but only a small fraction – 5 million tonnes passes through waterways. The World Bank is financing the development with a $375 million loan. The National Waterway 1 Capacity Increase Project plans to help deliver the infrastructure and services needed to ensure the NW1 emerges as an efficient transportation artery in this important economic region. Once in place, the waterway will be part of the largest multimodal transportation network planned along the river. It would connect to the dedicated rail freight corridor in the East, as well as the region's existing road network. This network of river, road and rail links will help industries and manufacturing units in the region easily switch between modes of transport when shipping their goods to Indian and foreign markets. Farmers in the agriculture-rich Ganges plain will also benefit as the waterway opens up markets further afield. Since the lack of appropriate infrastructure such as cargo terminals and jetties has been one of the reasons for the slow development of river transport in the region, the project will contribute to the creation of six multimodal cargo terminals: at Varanasi, Ghazipur, Kalughat, Sahibgunj, Triveni and Haldia. In addition to this, five new Roll On-Roll Off (RO-RO) level crossings at different locations will facilitate the transfer of trucks and other vehicles from the road to the river and vice versa. The 6 new cargo terminals have the potential to evolve into thriving logistics hubs, providing jobs for thousands of people in one of the poorest and most populated regions of the country. THEproject will also help in setting up a ship repair and maintenance facility at Doriganj. In addition to the above, the project will support the modernization of the aging Farakka Lock, built approximately 40 years ago. Currently, ships often have to wait up to six hours to pass through the lock; two-way traffic is also not possible through its narrow gates. To facilitate the faster and smoother passage of boats through the passage, not only will the lock be upgraded, but a new lock will also be constructed, allowing barges to travel upstream and downstream simultaneously. These small improvements will significantly reduce the time to go through the lock. In addition, the project will contribute to the establishment of a state-of-the-art river information system (RIS). Among the many benefits, RIS will enable barge operators and cargo owners to track their vessels, locate terminal berths in advance and better plan their logistics. To make navigation safe day and night, the project will help demarcate the central channel allowing boats to circulate there and install night navigation facilities. In addition, detailed protocols are being developed to deal with emergency situations, including oil spills from ships. With the Ganga River occupying a special place in the social, cultural and environmental landscape of the country, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has sought to adopt the least intrusive methods to make the river navigable. This is why she followed the principle of “working with nature” while planning the Ganges waterway. Unlike many of the world's major rivers, the Ganges is a seasonal river that swells with monsoon rains and recedes during dry winters and summers. While small boats can navigate this seasonal river, large cargo barges need a minimum depth to navigate. Navigation on the Ganges was therefore limited by the different water depths of the river. Currently, traffic is largely limited to the downstream stretch of the river, between Farakka and Haldia, where the water is deep enough - 2.5 to 3.0 m - for boats to navigate all year round. Typically, making such a river navigable would require large-scale dredging of the riverbed to reach the depth needed for larger boats, especially large barges carrying up to 2,000 tonnes of load. In the Ganges, particular care was taken to accommodate these vessels while limiting the need for dredging to a minimum. A 45 meter wide channel was marked in the deepest part of the river, and the minimum available depths (LAD) necessary for navigation was determined taking into account the need to reduce dredging. The depth of the canal thus follows the natural gradient of the river on different sections and is sufficient to support the bidirectional movement of large vessels. These measures will help reduce the need for dredging to just 1.5 percent of the river's annual silt load of 10 to 11 million. cubic meters. Even this limited dredging will only be carried out when absolutely necessary and also using modern and less intrusive technologies. Among these technologies is the proposed water injection method which will use water pressure to liquefy silt deposits and remove them. the resulting dense mud will then be deposited – either naturally or by induced currents – into depressions along the riverbed, ensuring that the sediment remains within the river's ecosystem. Where exist.