NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on July 17, hailed the successful movement of 1,668 metric tonnes (MT) of Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) from Diamond Harbour in Kolkata to Simaria Ghat in Begusarai, Bihar, via National Waterway-1 (NW-1), calling it a significant milestone in strengthening India’s inland water transport (IWT) network.
Sharing the development on X, Sonowal said the cargo, destined for the Barauni Refinery in Bihar, reflects the growing confidence of industries in India’s waterways as a sustainable, efficient and cost-effective mode of transportation.
“Proud to note the arrival of 1,668 MT of Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) from Diamond Harbour, Kolkata to Simaria Ghat in Bihar’s Begusarai via NW-1. Destined for the Barauni refinery, this movement reflects growing industrial confidence in our waterways as a sustainable and efficient mode of transport,” the minister said.
Highlighting the Narendra Modi government’s focus on expanding inland waterways, Sonowal said the increasing cargo movement on the Ganga is helping transform the country’s logistics ecosystem while boosting economic development.
He credited the initiative to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that the government remains committed to strengthening inland water transport infrastructure to accelerate Bihar’s industrial progress.
“Led by the vision of Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji, as cargo movement on the sacred Ganga gathers new momentum, we are committed to powering Bihar’s industrial progress through robust IWT infrastructure,” he said.
Proud to note the arrival of 1,668 MT of Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) from Diamond Harbour, Kolkata to Simaria Ghat in Bihar's Begusarai via NW-1.
Destined for the Barauni refinery, this movement reflects growing industrial confidence in our waterways as a sustainable and… pic.twitter.com/FpI8gzCWvE
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) July 16, 2026
The Union Minister further emphasized that every successful cargo movement through inland waterways reinforces the government’s commitment to building a future-ready multimodal logistics ecosystem that enhances the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), reduces logistics costs, and promotes inclusive economic growth.
“Every such milestone strengthens our resolve to build a future-ready, multimodal logistics ecosystem that enhances EoDB, lowers logistics costs and drives inclusive growth across the nation,” Sonowal added.
National Waterway-1, which stretches along the Ganga River, has emerged as one of India’s key inland transport corridors, enabling the movement of heavy industrial cargo while reducing dependence on road and rail transport.
