(a) whether the Government has recently launched the country’s first River Information System (RIS) to facilitate safe and accurate inland waterway navigation;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the advantages of the RIS;
(c) the total budget earmarked/ allocated for the project; and
(d) the total number of States/ districts likely to be benefited from RIS State/ UT-wise?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING
(SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)
(a): Yes, Madam.
(b): The Government has launched a River Information System (RIS) betweenHaldia and Farakka stretch of the National Waterway-1 (NW-1) on 06.01.2016. The system enhances swift electronic data transfer between mobile vessels and shore (Base stations) through advance and real-time exchange of information. RIS aims to streamline the exchange of information between waterway operators, regulators and users. This would facilitate:-
i. Inland navigation safety.
ii. Improvement in efficiency of inland navigation.
iii. Dissemination of information to vessels on the status of fairways.
iv. Provision of virtual aids to navigation and guidance to the vessels.
v. Planning of voyages.
(c): Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has taken up the project initially in NW-1 that is being implemented in three phases as shown below:
River stretch Phase -I: Phase -II: Phase -III:
Haldia –Farakka Farakka-Patna Patna-Varanasi
Cost of Project including civil works and Operation and Maintenance for four years after commissioning Rs. 26.23 cr. Rs. 15.89 cr. Rs.14.49 cr.
Distance in the river stretch 545 Km 410 Km 356 Km
Status Operational Under implementation Tender process completed.
The system on the entire stretch is likely to be operational by November 2016.
(d): RIS in NW-1 is expected to be beneficial to areas in the following States:
1. Phase-I: West Bengal & Jharkhand
2. Phase-II: Jharkhand & Bihar
3. Phase-III: Bihar & Uttar Pradesh
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