The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the water aerodrome at Kevadia and the Sea plane service connecting the Statue of Unity and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on 31st October 2020. While this is seen as a successful launch and lauded for jetties being constructed in record time, the truth remains that water aerodrome projects at […]
Are Inland Waterways actually suitable mode of transport for bulk cargo such as fly ash?
On March 12th, a barge carrying 600 tonnes of fly-ash sank in the Hooghly River near Maheshtala Jetty at Budge Budge, South 24 Paraganas, in West Bengal. Hooghly is also declared as a part of National Waterway-1. The barge vessel belonging to Bangladesh was carrying fly-ash from a CESC thermal Power Plant in Kolkata to […]
Ministry of Environment supports exemption of Environmental Clearance for the National Waterways Project; Orders of the National Green Tribunal disappoint
The National Green Tribunal and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are two important institutions in India which are responsible to safeguard the environment and for ensuring environmental justice. However, both the Tribunal and the Ministry of Environment have been ineffective in ensuring that the ongoing National Waterways projects apply for environmental clearance. […]
Light pollution could potentially harm the vulnerable aquatic ecosystems. Are inland waterways prepared to acknowledge the dark side of the light?
In May 2022, the Inland Waterways Authority of India released a tender for maintenance/upkeep of solar operated LED navigation lights on the rivers (See here & here). These navigation lights are installed over the buoys and as lighted posts in between Kolkata-Raichawk/Ghoramara stretch Of National Waterway -1 (Ganga -Bhagirathi – Hooghly river systems) and the […]
On disposal of dredged material
On 01.02.2022, a tweet was posted by the Inland Waterways Authority of India with a video of ongoing dredging operation on the Brahmaputra river at the mouth of Dhubhri Channel in Assam. Dredging is an activity employed to create or maintain the navigation channel by excavating silt, sand and settled sediment from the riverbed. In […]
Boat Tragedy near Majuli: Traffic proposed to be increased on Brahmaputra Waterway but is it implementable? with safety?
On 8th September 2021, a smaller private boat heading to Majuli Island collided with a bigger government ferry steamer near Nimatighat at Jorhat district in Assam. According to the news report, two lives are lost and one person is missing. This accident on the mighty Brahmaputra river -which is also a declared National Waterway (NW-2) […]
Amravati Capital City Project stalled, yet concerns over National Waterway-4 continue
Government of India has withdrawn its request from the World Bank for financing the Amravati Capital City Project. The recently released Inspection Panel report by the World Bank (dated March 23, 2019) confirmed that the request was withdrawn to save itself from the investigation which could present the environmental and social violations associated with the […]
Roads to Rivers 