Ensure optimum use of inland water ways

Although the term riverine country has been used to describe Bangladesh, in reality, the rivers, waterways are not being used to their full potential. Despite being a country connected through water, the preferred mode of transport is still by road which, as per a recent, survey, incurs more cost. A TBP report says about 76 million tonnes of cargo are transported through Bangladesh’s inland water network a year. Of this, about 61 per cent is imported.

Most of the items are clinker, steel scrap, ceramic, sand, gypsum, stones, fertilizer, coal, wheat, sugar, salt, edible oil and other bulk commodities, according to the World Bank’s latest data.

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCP) of the UN in their report in 2021 said the Inland Water Transport, IWT is the cheapest way of goods transport as it costs only Tk. 1 to travel one kilometre with a kilogram of goods while train service charges Tk. 2 and it takes Tk. 4.5 by road.

The ESCAP says IWT carries about 35 per cent of the annual freight volume (0.58 million tonnes per year).

Even after considering cargo handling charges at the ports as well as transportation costs from the points of origin to the ports and from the ports to the destinations of goods, IWT remains the cheapest mode.

For example, transporting one TEU container between Dhaka and Chattogram costs around Tk 600 per tonne by IWT whereas it is Tk 1,200 by railway and Tk 6,000 by road, the report also says.

The figures say it all but to popularise the river ways both for goods transport and general communication, a full blown commercial drive supported by the media is essential.

There’s also an environmental dimension to this as reportedly, by using water ways, 58.5 million litres of diesel can be saved with 1 lakh 55 thousand tonnes of less carbon di oxide emission.

However, the first advantage is lower cost and with the global economy already showing signs of slowing down, businesses will become more competitive, making lower cost transport a priority.

But despite waterways offering cheaper transport, the road communication is preferred because it saves time as ships carrying cargo often get stuck in shoals.

This is of course an impediment which can be remedied easily with dredging plans to make rivers more navigable. Dredging can be started by the government with support from development agencies. From another angle, inland water ways can also be used for general communication, thus reducing the pressure on the highways.

Dhaka city’s infamous traffic jams can be avoided if day to day communication is carried out using the canals running within the capital. The Hatirjheel boat service, running between Begunbari and Gulshan offer invaluable service to commuters although there is a misconception that these boats are mainly for recreational purposes.

The government can launch several such services using the Turag River plus other canals running along the periphery of the capital.

In a strategic approach, the river ways providing security by the river police can overtake road communication.

Specialists have rightly underlined the need for the private sector to get engaged in river communication.

Once top private organisations get involved commercially, waterway transportation will prove lucrative plus a cost saving option.

As a starter, the government may ask one of the leading local conglomerates to come up with a plan of action based on which a particular waterway communication can be launched and monitored for a pilot phase of six months.

If it’s viable, the project can become long term with the government engaging through public private partnership.