Pakistan Govt decides to set up Inland Water Transport Authority

[Saifullah Sani]

ISLAMABAD - After years of deliberations on the idea of utilising the Indus River’s waterways for freight forwarding, high fuel costs have forced the government to set up an Inland Water Transport Authority (IWTA) to use the waterways to cut down on the petroleum import bill as well as freight charges.
A meeting chaired by the Minister of Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar and attended by senior officials of the Planning Commission, Ministry of Defence and Pakistan Navy decided to set up IWTA to initiate progress on the proposal. The meeting was informed that more than 700kms of the 1200km-distacne between Karachi and Peshawar were ripe for cargo transport immediately. Link and irrigation canals in Punjab were also usable to supplement farm-to-market roads. It was informed that the Pakistan Navy, with the financial participation of the private sector, had already conducted a survey of 200kms of the Indus and the private sector had assured to fund all shore equipment, terminals and cargo craft. The meeting was told that the provinces were being encouraged to start their pilot projects, as navigation on canals had been devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment, while that on the main rivers remained with the federation.
Once IWTA legislation is promulgated, all inland navigation would fall under one national authority. The meeting decided that the authority would work under the Ministry of Water and Power, and cell consisting of officials of WAPDA and the Pakistan Navy would be set up initially. The meeting directed the ministry to formulate draft legislation for approval from the Council of Common Interest, approved the pilot project on Indus River and asked WAPDA and the Pakistan Navy to take necessary steps, conduct survey and prepare navigation charts. Almost 96 percent of country’s freight is dependent on the road network, while less than four percent is transported through rail.
He said a pilot project was being launched on a 200 kilometre-stretch of Indus, followed by 200kms on Nara and Jamrao Canals in Sindh and 300kms on Kacchi Canal in Punjab and Balochistan. According to experts, every kilometre of a standard 24-foot-wide road costs Rs 80 to 100 million, while the cost of commissioning the entire 200kms of the Indus Pilot Project was less than Rs 100m.
Govt decides to set up Inland Water Transport Authority | Pakistan Today | Latest news, Breaking news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia

 

[muse]

Super idea to use the Indus as a transport highway.

 

[Pioneerfirst]

May not be a good idea,What we will be doing in low flows of river in winter and anyother time.

 

[SQ8]

May not be a good idea,What we will be doing in low flows of river in winter and anyother time.

Depends on where the Indus dries up.. and how much.. there would still be spaces to transport cargo over the distance..
Another possiblity could be using a hybrid ferry system..
whereby trucks are loaded on light barges and moved down river.. till the area where there is drought.. and then the rest of the journey continues by road.

 

[mjnaushad]

Good idea only if it get implemented as well....

 

[Evil Flare]

what about Dams which come in between the routes ..

 

[bc040400065]

Super idea to use the Indus as a transport highway.

Indeed sir, But when is the question. because as i read it some where its a 150 years old plan first by the british and then by several pakistani goverments but nothing materialized. Also the water level of the indus is dead low in winter so it will be ficible only for summer season.

 

[bc040400065]

what about Dams which come in between the routes ..

Dams are not located in sindh or punjab plain lands, all existing and planned dams are to be built in northren mountains, dams are not supposed to be built by digging up plain farm land.

 

[All-Green]

Indeed sir, But when is the question. because as i read it some where its a 150 years old plan first by the british and then by several pakistani goverments but nothing materialized. Also the water level of the indus is dead low in winter so it will be ficible only for summer season.

In summer the demand of fuel is maximum due to electricity demand being significantly higher.
Even if the implementation of this transport system reduces fuel consumption and export/import imbalance for a few months in a year, it shall be a very welcome step.

 

[muse]

I think we may be overlooking the idea that such a body infers a "management" system to ensure that systems such as a navigation system remain active - so I think it may mean bigger and/or more numerous water reservoirs.

 

[ajpirzada]

here are the details:

Cargos to start moving on the Indus

Naeem Sarfraz
Friday, April 29, 2011

One of the most dramatic decisions of recent decades is to start using our rivers and canals for transportation. A pilot project is being launched on a 200 kilometres stretch of the Indus River, followed by 200 kilometres on Nara and Jamrao Canals in Sindh and 300 kilometres on Kacchi Canal in Punjab and Balochistan.

Use of waterways will save huge amounts on import of fuel. Freight rates will drop. Thousands of jobs will be created, afloat and ashore. Pressure on over-burdened roads will reduce. The impact on the economy and rural development will be phenomenal. Cargo traffic is expected to double over the next 5 years. Waterways can easily handle part of this growing load, at a fraction of the cost of building new roads. Every kilometre of a standard 24-ft road costs Rs80 to 100 million, while the cost of commissioning the entire 200 kilometres of the Indus Pilot Project is less than Rs100 million. Maintenance of roads at 1 per cent of construction cost eats up additional billions every year. For waterways it is negligible.

Economy of water transport itself is remarkable. One litre of fuel will carry a ton of cargo 20 kilometres by truck. Water transport will carry it 180 kilometres. With oil import bills touching 12 billion dollars a year, fuel savings are critical and they also earn carbon credits, which themselves translate into cash. It is no wonder that in advanced countries, with super highways and bullet trains, hundreds of million tons of cargo continue to move on inland waterways.

After hearing presentations of the Planning Commission’s Task Force on Maritime Industry, the president directed that an Inland Water Transport Authority (IWTA) be formed. Draft legislation was prepared and, following the consent of provinces, law ministry and other stakeholders it has been put up for cabinet approval. Meanwhile, the first phase of 3 pilot projects has started. Pakistan Navy, with financial participation of the private sector, has conducted a survey of 200 kilometres of the Indus River. Charts have been prepared using the latest technologies and a comprehensive technical report prepared. The private sector, which will fund all shore equipment, terminals and cargo craft, has also conducted its financial studies and has started acquiring river craft for carrying cargos. A Pilot Project Cell is under formation, with participation of Wapda and the Navy, for maintaining and regulating navigable channels.

Pakistan has one of the worlds’ most extensive irrigation networks with, potentially, thousands of kilometres of navigable channels. Some can be developed immediately at a nominal cost. Others need more extensive work. A barge carrying 500 tons can operate in 5 feet of water. Many such barges tied together, towed by a single tug, can carry several thousand tons. A bigger barge carrying 1,500 tons needs only 7 ft of water, while 10 ft of water are sufficient for 3,000 ton barges. There is great flexibility in the type and size of barges to be used, depending on available depths of water. Major cargo movement is North/South, along the Peshawar/Karachi gradient, which is the same as the flow of the Indus River. Rivers are obstructed at places by dams and barrages. Obstructions on some can be overcome by existing locks, while short bypasses are easy to be constructed on the rest. At places rivers are shallow. Simple and cheap solutions are available, dredging a channel being one. Where that is not technically feasible very cheap still-water canals can be built. A still-water canal is no more than a ditch filled with water, with gates at both ends.

In the Northern 200 kilometres of Indus, down to Kalabagh, waters are deep and bridges are high. Very little work needs to be done on its navigable channel. The next useable stretch is the fascinating new Kacchi Canal, running parallel to the Indus along its West Bank. 300 kilometres with depths of 12 to 14 feet are in the Punjab, 200 kilometres in Baluchistan. This ‘motorway on the River’ is ready for use, after removing some obstacles. A third useable stretch of 200 kilometres is available on the giant Nara and Jamrao Canals in Sind. This again needs relatively little expense and is planned as the next Pilot Project. 700 kilometres of the 1,200 km between Karachi and Peshawar are thus ripe for cargo transport immediately. Link and irrigation Canals in Punjab are also usable, to supplement “farm-to-market” roads. A Pilot Project is also planned on one of them. Provinces are being encouraged to start work on their Pilot Projects, as under the 18th Amendment navigation on canals has devolved to the Provinces while on the rivers it remains with the Federation. Once IWTA legislation is promulgated all inland navigation will come under one national Authority.

In Surah An Nahl (16:15) the Qur’aan states that God “also made rivers and roads so that you might find your way”. We are using our roads already. It is time we start using our rivers, a blessing of the Almighty, which we have so far unfortunately ignored.

naeemsarfraz@hotmail.com

Cargos to start moving on the Indus

 

[SQ8]

I think ill ask the stupid question..
Is this movement up or down the Indus??

 

[mikkix]

I think ill ask the stupid question..
Is this movement up or down the Indus??

It flows in Arabian sea,, that means it will flow downward to the south...

 

[VCheng]

And yet another pie-in-sky pipedream is born, just like the Thar Coal project.

 

[ajpirzada]

I think ill ask the stupid question..
Is this movement up or down the Indus??

both ways, i suppose. u r not going to get the ships back to the starting point via road!