Sudarsan Maharana
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The trial run of the long-hyped National Waterway–5 (NW-5) developed by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on the Brahmani-Mahanadi delta system along with the East Coast Canal has failed to keep its date with the year that is drawing to a close.
Sources said the proposed trial run that was rescheduled to this month has further been deferred for an indefinite period due to sluggishness in dredging work at Erada terminal because of a land dispute. IWAI authorities had taken up the work in full swing on the stretch from Erada in Jajpur district to Dhamra port for the initial trial run on the river route. A temporary terminal was also being constructed at Erada with vessel berthing, loading and unloading facilities as part of the trials along with dredging work to clear the water depth. However, dredging work was stopped and the trial run of the project, first scheduled for July, was postponed to December due to a possible flood-like situation.
According to transport department officials, though dredging continued for 10 days this month for the trial run to be conducted, the work was put to a halt after some locals from Erada and nearby villages lodged a complaint with the Jajpur district collector alleging that dredging would cause them loss of their land in the terminal area. “As the matter is being inquired by the Jajpur administration, the trial run was not possible in December,” said a senior official, adding, “The authorities are trying to resolve the issue by January 2016 so that the trial run could be conducted at the earliest.”
NW-5, a `4,209-crore project, is one of six National Waterways in the country and covers Orissa and East Coast Canal in West Bengal. Once developed, NW-5 will cover 623 km through different stretches from Talcher-Dhamra on the Brahmani River – a distance of 265 km including the Kharsua and Dhamra river systems, the Charbatia – Dhamra stretch of Matai River of 40 km, and the Mangalgadi-Paradip stretch of the Mahanadi River Delta running for 101 km, besides the 217-km Geonkhali-Charbatia stretch of the East Coast Canal.
The trial run would be conducted as part of a technical study to evaluate the river stretches in terms of depth, suitability for different kinds of vessels and cargo payload, among others. It would also be the first major step towards establishment and operation of the much-awaited waterway project widely being seen as an alternative to the congested rail and road routes.
Sources said traffic on NW-5 will consist largely of cargo such as coal, fertiliser, cement, iron ore and agricultural and industrial products that will be handled at four terminals — Talcher, Nasirabd, Balasore and Rajnagar.
The waterway is proposed to have barrages constructed at every 26 km on the Brahmani to maintain water levels at a minimum of two metres throughout the year. The barrages would allow passage of two 500-tonne vessels at a time. An estimated 11 million tonne of cargo can be transported per year though the route, and it can go up to 23 million tonne in the next 15 years.
