10 months ago
Odisha to Operationalize National Waterways to Boost Coal Transport
Imagine big trucks carrying coal and rocks.
Right now, they often use roads and trains, which can get crowded.
Odisha is going to make special rivers, called waterways, for boats to carry these things.
They will use two main routes, called National Waterway-5 and National Waterway-64.
This will be like building a new highway, but for boats!
It will cost a lot of money, about ₹12,200 crore.
This will make it easier and cheaper to move coal from where it's found to the ports.
It will also help take some traffic off the roads and trains, and be better for the environment because boats are greener than trucks and trains.
Odisha will develop and operationalize National Waterway-5 and National Waterway-64 for coal and mineral transport.
The estimated investment for the project is ₹12,200 crore.
These waterways will connect Talcher coalfields to Paradip and Dhamra ports, enabling efficient transport of coal, minerals, and steel.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by IWAI, Odisha government, PPA, and MCL during India Maritime 2025.
The project aims to reduce logistics costs, ease congestion on road and rail networks, and promote sustainable freight movement.
- Who
- Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Odisha government, Paradip Port Authority (PPA), and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)
- What
- Development and operationalization of National Waterway-5 and National Waterway-64 to transport coal and other bulk cargo.
- Where
- Odisha, connecting Talcher coalfields to Paradip and Dhamra ports.
- When
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday
- Why
- To facilitate seamless transportation of coal and minerals, reduce pressure on road and rail transport, cut logistics costs, and promote green transport.
Key facts
- Estimated Investment
- ₹12,200 crore
- Key Stakeholders
- Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Odisha Government, Paradip Port Authority (PPA), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)
- Special Purpose Vehicle
- Inland Waterways Consortium of Odisha Limited (IWCOL)
- National Waterway-64 Route
- Paradip to Cuttack via Mahanadi River
- National Waterway-5 Route
- Talcher to Dhamra via Brahmani, Matai, East Coast Canal, and Mahanadi delta
Quotes
Usha Padhee
Odisha commerce and transport secretary
“This agreement marks a major step toward harnessing Odisha’s riverine system for sustainable freight movement. It will cut logistics costs, decongest road and rail networks, and promote green transport, aligning with Viksit Bharat @2047.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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