Bhubaneswar, Feb 3: The much-awaited National Waterway-5 (NW-5) will soon provide a significant boost to transportation and economic activity in Odisha. The Modi government has included this crucial project in its recent budget, bringing new hope for transportation and infrastructure development in the state.
As per the state transport department’s notification, the NW-5 will connect key industrial and mining hubs in Odisha, including Talcher, Angul, Kalinganagar, Paradip Port, and Dhamra Port. This waterway will revolutionize the transportation of coal, minerals, and other industrial products, making it a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to traditional road transport.
The benefits of the National Waterway-5:
· It will reduce transport costs, alleviate road congestion, and lower pollution levels.
· The waterway will also contribute to fewer accidents on the roads.
· To facilitate this, several barrages, locks, and gates will be constructed at various points.
In the initial phase, the waterway will connect Paradip, Dhamra, and Talcher, covering a distance of 332 km.
The waterway will start with the connection from Talcher to Kalinganagar, going via the Brahmani River, and will link the mining region to the industrial hubs and ports. From there, it will extend to Dhamra and Paradip.
In the future, the waterway is planned to connect Dhamra Port with Goenkhali in West Bengal, making it a part of a larger regional transportation network. This connection will mainly pass through Brahmani, Kharsrota, Mahanadi-Brahmani Delta, and the East Coast Canal, providing a direct link for goods transport from Odisha to neighboring regions.
The project is estimated to cost around ₹12,000 crore and will bring significant infrastructural changes to Odisha’s industrial and transport landscape. Captain Prashant Padhi, a researcher working on this project, highlighted that waterway transport is one of the most cost-efficient modes of transportation. Not only will it be ideal for coal transport, but it will also be perfect for the movement of other minerals, products, and oil. By using barges, the waterway can carry significantly larger quantities of goods-up to 150 times more than road transport with a single truck.
For smooth operation, the waterway will require a depth of 3.5 meters and the construction of canals, as well as the excavation of riverbeds. Various dams and locks will be built to ensure the flow and storage of water, enabling the safe passage of vessels.
While Kerala has already made extensive use of waterways, other states like Uttar Pradesh are also expanding their network. Odisha is poised to become a major player in waterway transport in the coming years, providing a highly sustainable and efficient alternative for freight movement.
This ambitious project has been in the works since 2008, but only gained momentum after the Modi government gave it priority. Under the current government’s leadership, the state has received special attention from the Centre, which led to the allocation of funds for this project in the latest Union Budget.
Odisha is now on track to become a major hub for national waterways, with 1,500 km of distinct waterway routes already identified in the state. Notably, National Waterway-5, which will connect Talcher, Paradip, Dhamra, and Goenkhali, will stretch 588 km. Other national waterways, such as Numbers 14, 22, 23, 64, and 96, are also being developed in Odisha, marking a major leap in the state’s transport infrastructure.
This project is expected to revolutionize logistics and industrial supply chains in Odisha, providing a more sustainable and efficient way to transport goods while reducing road traffic and emissions. The construction of the waterway is set to bring economic growth, create jobs, and reduce dependency on road transport, marking a significant step forward for Odisha's development in the years to come.
