Inland Waterways: Some Bright Spots
Published: Sep 30, 2015
Photo courtesy: IWAI
River barge RV Bengal Ganga, berthed at Bateswarsthan Jetty, has been ferrying tourists between Kolkata-Patna-Kolkata and Kolkata-Simaria-Kolkata for several years now.
Abstract: Notwithstanding the low utilisation of existing waterways, the government’s proposal to develop national waterways is a welcome move, given the marked success of the Haldia-Farakka route in moving coal, and river tourism.
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What is ...
Reefers are temperature controlled containers that are employed to transport fresh food or other sensitive goods. Modern reefers, powered by the ship’s power system, feature a plethora of characteristics right from temperature and humidity control to automated ventilation.
Dry cargo consists of material in either liquid or granular, particulate form, as a mass of relatively small solids, such as petroleum/crude oil, grain, coal, or gravel that are either dropped or poured using heavy equipment.
Barges are usually used in rivers and canals to transport heavy goods. They are flat bottomed and most barges require a towboat to tow or push them, although self propelled barges also exist. In contemporary times, barges are used to transport low value items in bulk.
LAD or least available depth is the minimum depth of a water body required for vessels to navigate. Most commonly, water bodies in India need a LAD of 2.5 m for navigability.
Barrages are artificial barriers across rivers or streams built to prevent flooding and aid in navigation of vessels. It consists of several gates that are opened or closed as required to maintain a certain elevation of the water level.
Bunker C is generic name for one of several heavy residual fuel used to power ships. These dark petroleum fractions have high viscosity and requiring preheating to 104-126oC. Bunker C fuel conforms to the number 6 fuel oil grade and is also known as residual fuel oil (RFO).
Most Indian rivers are plagued by excessive siltation which renders them unnavigable. Dredging digs out the excess silt and sediments from the riverbeds making them navigable. The method is also used to replenish sand on some public beaches, where sand has been lost because of coastal erosion.
Ballast tanks are compartments that hold water in a ship. After a ship unloads, the ballast tanks are pumped with water to weight down the ship and provide stability. Ballast tanks also pose serious environmental threats as it is instrumental in introducing non-indigenous aquatic organisms.
Break-in-bulk point is a geographical location where goods are transferred from one mode of transport to another. Example, docks where ships unload cargo and distribute them into railways and roadways.
A fairway is a channel of water that acts as an entrance to a part or harbour. Most harbours utilise buoys in their fairway for increased visibility.