06/05/2025
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
West Bengal, characterized by its unique topographical diversity, has numerous rivers flowing from north and north-west to the southern direction across the state. These rivers, along with a network of fluvial and tidal arteries in the form of streams, tributaries, distributaries, rivulets etc., create an intricate riverine network that has been used both as a communication link and a principal trade route for centuries. Its largest and most significant river- the Bhagirathi-Hooghly, a distributary and sub-river of the Ganges, has been a waterway of truly global significance; attracting merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, statesmen, and labourers from Asia, Europe, and around the world.
With the extension of railway and road networks across the country, the significance of water transport diminished gradually. Inland water transport (IWT) has been identified by the Government of India as an under-leveraged component of connectivity and remains under-utilized at a share of 2% in India’s modal mix. West Bengal being particularly well-endowed with rivers, stands to benefit from better harnessing such potential and creating a replicable approach for other Indian states.
Ina bid to better utilise the portion of the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System- National Waterway 1 (NW-1) that flows within the state, West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project (WBIWTLSDP) program was launched in January, 2021 as a partnership between the Government of West Bengal (GoWB) and the World Bank (WB).
West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (WBTIDCL), a parastatal of the Transport Department of Government of West Bengal, with loan assistance from the World Bank, is primarily responsible for the implementation of the Project aims to create and nurture the nascent river transport market for freight and passengers, leverage private sector participation and demonstrate the potential of water transport. One of the key outcomes of the project would be to support enhancement of the Passenger and Freight Movement, through supporting infrastructure and building institutional capacity.
The proposed Project Area includes a riverine length of about 120 km along both banks of the River Hooghly (NW 1) from Tribeni in Hooghly district to Noorpur in South 24 Parganas, which includes several ghats providing cross-river ferry services for passengers. The Project Area primarily comprises of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), the administrative capital of West Bengal – covering about 2000 sq.km with a projected population of 15.3 million (2023) and a density of about 24,000 persons per sq.km.
