Inland waterways body launches portal to ensure depth on national waterways

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Friday launched a new portal -- LADIS -- that would ensure real-time information on available depth on stretches of national waterways. "Moving a step ahead towards ensuring optimum use of national waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a new portal LADIS (Least Available Depth Information System) here today," the shipping ministry said in a statement Friday.

LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths (LADs) is disseminated for the ship, barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on national waterways (NWs) in a more planned way. An assured depth of waterway is required for seamless movement of vessels.

"If real-time information is made available regarding LADs in stretches of various NWs, it will help transporters by guiding them on the suitability of time of movement," the statement said. Initially, LAD information will be available for NW-1, NW-2, Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route and NW-3, along with the date of the survey, it said adding that the facility will be expanded to other NWs also.

IWAI has designed LADIS to facilitate the day-to-day operations of inland vessels plying on NWs and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation. It will enhance credibility and efficiency of information sharing to achieve seamless operations on NWs, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels, it added.