The Ministry of Ports and shipping has shortlisted as many as ten domestic locations in Gujarat for promotion of ferry service through inland waterways. The entire east coast has been left out of the process in domestic ferry service category.

Locations identified

The ten locations identified in the state of Gujarat are Hazira. Okha, Somnath temple. Diu, {Pipavav, Dahej, Mundhra, Mandhvi, Jamnagar, Ghogha. The other ports in the west coast which will have the ferry services include Mumbai/JNPT, Goa, Kochi.

Four international destinations have also been identified

Four international destinations have also been identified including Chattogram (Bangladesh), Seychelles(East Africa) Madagascar (East Africa) and Jaffna.

MOPSW has recently successfully implemented one of such ferry routes by deploying RoPAX vessel ferry service between Hazira and Ghogha. This ferry service has reduced the distance between Ghogha and Hazira from 370 Km to 90 Km and travel time from 10 to 12 hours to about 5 hours. This will result in huge savings of fuel (approx. 9000 litres per day)

To replicate the success of the above business model, MoPSW now encourages the private operator to identify the routes, which offers potential to commence the RO-RO, RO-PAX ferry service based on the localized demand to promote the supplementary and sustainable mode of the transportation through coastal/inland water. The purpose is to:

Create a supplementary mode of transportation, which will not only be beneficial for the daily commuters, tourists’ movement and cargo transportation but also helpful in reducing carbon footprint by shifting to environment-friendly mode of transportation from rail and road.

Provide impetus to the tourism industry, Create job opportunities in the coastal regions, Saving in terms of both cost and time for the users and Decongest road and rail networks

Sagarmala Development Company Ltd will support the initiative by providing equity to the project in SPV framework

Sagarmala Development Company Ltd will support the initiative by providing equity to the project in SPV framework, if required, and provide other assistance and facilitation to the private Operator(s) including obtaining various permissions and approvals from regulatory and statutory Government Authorities.

MoPSW, through Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), is desirous of facilitating the companies to operate RO-RO, RO-PAX and Ferry services on various routes across the nation and provide the required support to make the project operational.

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has been working continuously for the promotion of Coastal Shipping under Sagarmala Programme. The Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 Km long coastline and potentially navigable waterways.