Inland Water Transport (IWT)Rohan Rao.In a metro like Mumbai, where 4,700 passengers are packedinto a 9-car rake during peak hours, as against the ratedcarrying capacity of 1,700 and over 6 lakh vehicles on roadshas lead to congestion; the road and rail transport system isfacing an inevitable derangement. In such times, InlandPassenger Water Transport (IPWT) provides an effectivealternative and hence the revival of IPWT is imminent.A review on Inland water transportation was held at IEI, MSCpremises at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai on 25

May. Mr. M.K.Banger, a consultant of international standing, delivered thelecture highlighting the importance of inland water transportin India.“India has an extensive network of rivers, lakes and canals,which, if developed for shipping and navigation, can providean efficient network of inland transportation. An optimal mixof road, rail and inland water transport will provide anefficient transport infrastructure with mobility, flexibility andcost effectiveness,” he opined. While the thrust so far hasbeen in developing road and rail sectors, Governmentrecognizes the need to actively promote the IWT sector for itto take a reasonable share in the inter-modal mix of inlandtransport.Besides passenger transport, IWT also plays a major role incargo movements. IWT is moving about 44 million tones of cargo annually. However, at present it forms a very smallpart of the total transport network. In terms of tonnekilometres of total inland cargo, its share is less than 1 percent.Inland water transport offers various advantages like beingenvironmental friendly, reduction in congestion of roadtraffic, significant savings in travel time due to increased

speed and reduced delays because of no congestionproblems, reduction in air and noise pollution along theexisting corridors, diversion of traffic on water transport willprovide relief to local roads in the high density areas.However the contribution of Mumbai towards IWT in India;both in passenger and cargo transportation has beenminimal. To make developments in this sector, MaharashtraState Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is entrustedwith the development of IWT in Mumbai. The project will beconcentrating primarily on public transportation. MSRDC hasa project for development of IWT for Mumbai estimating toabout 367 crores. The project will cater an array of facilities and provide well-equipped terminal buildings for passengers with passengeramenities like waiting hall, cafeteria, restaurant, book stalletc, fire fighting and safety measures, adequate fresh watersupply, power supply, navigational aids, communicationsystem, appropriate berthing piers / pads for safe andefficient tying / mooring of crafts, embarking anddisembarking at different states of water levels at differentstages of tides, and all other facilities required for comfortsof the passengers.Of the five short listed BOOT agencies, two` agenciesnamely M/s. Four Seasons Marine and Air Services Ltd. AndM/s. Satyagiri Shipping Co. Ltd had submitted the offers.Letter of Award has been issued to successful bidder M/s.Satyagiri Shipping Co. Ltd. with abid amount of Rs 1,012crores in 2003. The project covering Nariman Point, Bandra, Juhu (NearHoliday Inn), Versova, Marve, Borivali (Charkop) (ForMaintenance & Repairs) and Borivali (Near Existing Jetty) onthe West Coast of Mumbai is for proposed Passenger Water Transport System and estimated at around 300 crores.

On the eastern coast project, estimated to around 67 crores,the project includes development of facilities at Ferry Wharf on Mumbai side and Nerul on Navi Mumbai side. The service will be provided with average waiting period of 15 minutes in peak hours & 30 minutes in non-peak hoursfor passengers. The passenger water transport service willbe operated for minimum 300 days in a calendar year.It is expected to ferry about one-lakh passengers per daywhen this project is fully developed.A consortium, led by Mumbai-based Satyagiri Shipping CoLtd, which won the contract, is planning to bring high-speedhovercraft and catamarans with capacities to carry 60 to 300people. It is planned to operate hovercrafts every 15 minutesduring peak hours to whiz across the sea from Borivali toNariman Point in just 50 minutes in air-conditionedhovercrafts at a speed of not less than 30 knots as againstthe average speed of buses, which is 12 to 15 km. per hour. The project will be implemented on a ‘Built-Operate-Transfer’(BoT) basis, with a 30-year lease. Initial estimates show thatthe services would carry one lakh people daily for a Rs130one-way fare (from Borivali to Nariman Point) and would beoperational 300 days a year. The project financing as prepared by the consortium is in thefinal stages and waiting to be approved by Indianinfrastructure institutions. However, its feasibility lies on theconcession agreement between Satyagiri and theMaharashtra government. Satyagiri Shipping wants theproject to made part of the Inland Water Transport (IWT)policy to get subsidies on fuel and reduction in import duties. The Government of Maharashtra conceived the project toexploit the sea for mass transport in Mumbai in mid 1990’s.In May 2006, the government finally obtains clearances fromthe Union Ministry of Environment and Forests