Govt unveils Jalvahak incentive scheme to boost inland waterways

Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday unveiled a policy called Jalvahak to incentivize long-haul cargo movements on national waterways straddling the Ganga, Bramaputra and Barak rivers. Sonowal said, “With its advantage of being an economical, ecologically sound and efficient mode of transportation, we want to boost cargo movement via waterways, to decongest the railways and roadways. Jalvahak scheme incentivizes long-haul cargo on NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16, and provides an opportunity for the trade interests to explore movement of cargo via waterways with positive economic value proposition.” “Further, the regular scheduled freight service, which began from Kolkata, will ensure that the cargo is transported and delivered within a stipulated time frame. It offers reimbursements of up to 35% of the total operating expenditure incurred while transporting cargo via waterways on NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16 via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. For 2047, keeping in faith in the growth of inland waterways as a viable alternative for cargo movement, we have set a target of 500 million tonnes, contributing meaningfully towards realizing the vision of Prime Minister’s Atmanirbhar Bharat.” India boasts an extensive network of inland waterways comprising rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks.