India's first inland waterways shipment to start with PepsiCo on Tuesday

The country's first container movement on inland waterways vessel post-independence scheduled on Tuesday from Kolkata would start with a consignment of the PepsiCo.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) officials said the food and Beverage giant would move 16 containers from Kolkata to Varanasi on NW-1.

PepsiCo (India) will move 16 containers equivalent to 16 truckloads - filled with food and snacks in the vessel MV RN Tagore which will reach Varanasi in 9-10 days, the officials said.

Senior shipping ministry and IWAI officials are expected to present to mark the event.

The vessel will make its return journey with fertilizers belonging to IFFCO that will be procured from its Phulpur plant near Allahabad.

The government is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi covering a distance of 1390 km with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 53.69 billion.

The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 DWT.