RAS question
The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) is associated with which national waterway?
Correct answer: (C) NW-1 (Ganga).
The Jal Marg Vikas Project is associated with National Waterway-1 on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system.
Explanation
The Jal Marg Vikas Project belongs to National Waterway-1, not to the Kerala, Brahmani or Brahmaputra waterways. IWAI identifies NW-1 as the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system between Haldia and Prayagraj, declared a national waterway in 1986. JMVP is being implemented on NW-1 with technical and financial support from the World Bank, with approval at a cost of Rs. 5369.18 crore. Its purpose is to improve the efficiency and reliability of transport on NW-1 by developing multimodal terminals, fairway maintenance with specified depths, navigational facilities, community jetties and related infrastructure. That is why the project is linked to the Ganga route.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) NW-3 is the Kerala waterway, whereas JMVP is identified with NW-1 on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly system.
- (B) NW-5 relates to the Brahmani option here, but JMVP is a World Bank-supported project on NW-1.
- (D) NW-2 is the Brahmaputra waterway, while JMVP is implemented on NW-1 for the Ganga route.
Concept
This tests India's inland waterways and transport infrastructure, a recurring RAS geography area because projects are often asked through their river route or national-waterway number. JMVP is a typical map-linked development project: the keyword is the Ganga route, hence NW-1.