IWAI signs MoUs with Dredging Corporation of India, Paradip Port Trust and Mormugao Port Trust

New Delhi [India], Sept.28 (ANI): To ensure the development of national waterways in a time-bound and effective manner, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on Wednesday signed three separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in the presence of Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. Under these MoUs, the IWAI expects to accelerate the development of Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector as an alternative, viable and environment friendly mode of transport. While the MoU with DCI will enable IWAI to maintain navigable depth in national waterways, the MoUs with PPT and MPT will help IWAI to develop National Waterway-5 in Odisha and various National Waterways in Goa ,respectively. To ensure development of the fairways, the dredging responsibilities of the IWAI are expected to increase rapidly in the next few years. Under the MoU, DCI will supplement the asset base of IWAI by purchasing/leasing shallow depth dredgers and operating them in National Waterways. DCI will also prepare cost estimates and determine the duration of the dredging projects . The MoU between MPT and IWAI will assist IWAI in the development of National Waterways like Mandovi river (NW-68), Zuari river (NW-111), Chapora river (NW-25), Cumbharjua canal (NW-27), Mapusa river (NW-71), and Sal river (NW-88) in Goa. IWAI and MPT will jointly work to achieve fairway development of the 182-Km stretch in Goa which includes dredging, river training works, bank protection, navigation aids, Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) etc. MPT will also provide project management supervision services related to the infrastructure works in the NWs. The MoU between IWAI and PPT will result in a collaboration between IWAI and PPT to develop a viable navigation system on NW-5 in Odisha for Phase-1 (Pankapal-Paradip/Dhamra-212 Km on the Brahmaniand Mahanadi river system) to facilitate the movement of cargo vessels of economical size and viable capacity. The development activities in Phase-I of NW-5 will include fairway development of 212 Km stretch which includes dredging, river training works, bank protection works; terminal construction with cargo handling facilities, off shore structures and related activities; and navigational aids including DGPS, RIS (River Information System)/VTMS. PPT will cooperate and assist IWAI in project management, supervision, services including planning, designing, consultancy in respect of the works related to fairway development, terminals construction and other related infrastructure works on NW-5. (ANI)