The centre is preparing a Rs. 12,000 crore inland waterway on the Brahmani River in Odisha to move goods from four key industrial clusters to the port of Paradip and Dhamra.
Under the proposed plan, the inland waterway will be developed on the engineering, procurement and construction EPC model, according to a report in The Economic Times ET A senior government official said.
He added that there is a commitment from the state government to take up the project.
The project will need funding from the central government due to its capital-intensive nature.
The investment by the SPV partners will be commensurate with the shareholding pattern of the entity, the official said.
One million tonnes of cargo per annum mtpa is moved on the NW 5 and is likely to touch 12 - 14 mtpa by 2030, he said.
The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has ruled that inland water transport is the most affordable method of transportation due to its ability to transport large amounts of cargo.
This mode of transport remains underutilised, with a share of 2 per cent in India's modal mix.
The Maritime India Vision 2030 site plans to increase the share of inland water transport to 5 per cent.