This research note assesses the potential of Inland water transportation in India and various advantages associated with it. It highlights the ‘sediment levels predictions’ as a promising technique to make our water more navigable. It suggests that inland water transportation has the least impact on the environment and has least cost when compared to road and railways. It further recommends methods that can be developed to estimate the bed load levels of the Brahmaputra River. The research note discusses several methods which have been developed to study sediment and model the sediment concentration in rivers. It recommends dredging techniques as it not only reduces flooding by allowing more water to stay in the river but also makes the river navigable.
1. Brahmaputra basin has flood issues that stem from the fact that it has the second highest sediment levels in the world, it gathers sediments from soft rocks and landslide-affected areas of the Himalayas.
2. Several methods have been developed to study sediment and model the sediment concentration in rivers.
3. Support Vector Regressions are used to predict the Bed load material concentrations.
4. Methods can be developed to estimate the bed load levels.
5. A warning generation algorithm should be developed to introduce the sediment aspects into the Aids to Navigation system.
"
“”The way forward for India in terms of inland water transport will require understanding our resources by gathering data and performing mathematical modeling.
Research Intern, MRC