Lok Sabha Question No. 384 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-25
Subject: River Information System
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, SUDHEER GUPTA, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 384 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  FEBRUARY, 2016

## RIVER INFORMATION SYSTEM

## 384.SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO  CHAVAN:

SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased to state:

## पोतप�रवहनमंत्

- (a) whether the Government proposes to launch a River Information System (RIS) on the lines  of  air  traffic  control  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  purpose  behind  the move;
- (b) the areas/ routes of operation of RIS and the time by which this system is likely to be made fully operational covering all national waterways;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to make it mandatory to install equipments required for RIS and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether only five rivers have been declared as  National Waterways (NW) and only one stretch of NW-1 is operational and if so, the details thereof and corrective steps taken by the Government is this regard; and
- (e) the other steps taken/ being taken by the Government to give priority to waterways and to bring down cost of transportation and reduce air pollution?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

- (a)      Yes,  Madam.    River  Information  Service  (RIS)  System  is  technically  similar  to  Air Traffic  Control.    RIS  is  a  combination  of  tracking  and  meteorological  equipment with  specialized  software  designed  to  optimize  traffic  and  transport  processes  in inland navigation.  The system enables swift electronic data transfer between mobile vessels  and  shore  (base  stations)  through  advance  and  real-time  exchange  of information so as to ensure navigation safety in inland waterways.  It also provides virtual navigational aids to guide the vessel during navigation.
- (b)    Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has taken up installation of RIS initially in  National  Waterway-1  (NW-1)  in  three  phases,  viz.    Haldia-Farakka,  FarakkaPatna,  and  Patna-Varanasi.    RIS  in  the  Haldia-Farakka  stretch  has  already  been operationalized and in the other two stretches, it is targeted to be operationalised by December 2016.

- (c):    All the vessels plying on National Waterways (NWs) need to be made compatible for using RIS.  As RIS ensures safety of vessels in navigation, as per the Inland Vessel Act, it will be the responsibility of the States to direct all the vessels to be equipped with  RIS  compatible  equipment.    So  far,  all  vessels  of  IWAI  and  the  vessels  of private operators deployed for imported coal movement for Farakka power plant are RIS compatible.
- (d)&(e):NW-1, 2 and 3  out of the  existing  five  NWs  have  been  developed  with  targeted depth,  navigational  aids  and  terminal  facilities  with,  storage  and  mechanized handling facilities.  These NWs have been made operational and vessels are plying on them.
- 'Jal  Marg  Vikas'  project  for  capacity  augmentation  of  NW-1  between  Haldia  and Allahabad (1620 km), at an estimated cost of Rs. 4200 crore has been initiated with assistance from the World Bank.  The project, inter-alia envisages three multi-modal terminals with rail and road connectivity at Varanasi, Sahebganj and Haldia.

NW-  4  and  5  are yet to be made  operational for which  various studies/ developmental  works  are  underway.    Dredging  of  fairway  and  construction  of temporary terminals has recently started in NW-5.

- In  view  of  the  importance  of  the  inland  water  transport  and  its  potential  to  be  a supplementary  mode  of  transport  to  rail  and  road  networks,  the  Government  has launched an ambitious plan of developing 106 more inland waterways identified in 24  States,  for  which  a  National  Waterways  Bill,  2015  has  been  passed  by  the LokSabha.

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