New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Shipping identifies new routes for RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off), RO-PAX and ferry services on various routes across the nation to promote the supplementary mode of the transportation through coastal/inland water.
The ministry is desirous of facilitating the companies to operate these services through Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), to provide the required support to make the project operational.
According to an official statement, “Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has been working continuously for the promotion of Coastal Shipping under Sagarmala Programme.”
The Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme, to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 Km long coastline and potentially navigable waterways, it added.
Under this, MoPSW has identified domestic locations namely Hazira, Okha, Somnath Temple, DIU, PIPAVAV, Dahej, Mumbai/JNPT, Jamnagar, Kochi, Ghogha, Goa, Mundra and Mandvi, the ministry said in a statement.
Besides, six international routes, connecting 4 international destinations namely Chattogram (Bangladesh), Seychelles (East Africa) Madagascar (East Africa) and Jaffna (Sri Lanka) from Indian major coastal port towns for the commencement of ferry services through inland waterways.
The ministry has recently implemented one of ferry routes by deploying Ro-PAX vessel ferry service between Hazira and Ghogha, the statement stated.
This ferry service reduced the distance between Ghogha and Hazira from 370 Km to 90 Km and travel time from 10 to 12 hours to about 5 hours. This will result in huge savings of fuel which was approx. 9000 litres per day, it added.
Further, to replicate the success of the above business model, MoPSW now encourages the private operator to identify the routes, which offers potential to commence the RO-RO, RO-PAX ferry service based on the localized demand to promote the supplementary and sustainable mode of the transportation through coastal/inland water.
The purpose is to create a supplementary mode of transportation, which will not only be beneficial for the daily commuters, tourists’ movement and cargo transportation but also helpful in reducing carbon footprint by shifting to environment-friendly mode of transportation from rail and road, the statement further said
It will provide impetus to the tourism industry, create job opportunities in the coastal regions and help saving in terms of both cost and time for the users besides decongesting road and rail networks.
Apart from that, the Sagarmala Development Company Ltd will support the initiative by providing equity to the project in SPV framework, if required, and provide other assistance.
This will also facilitate the private operator(s) including obtaining various permissions and approvals from regulatory and statutory government authorities, the statement added.
-RJV
