New Delhi: NTPC's thermal power project at Farakka in West Bengal has started getting domestic coal through inland waterways, helping to ease shortages caused by irregular fuel supplies by rail.

"Coal transportation has started through inland waterways at NTPC's Farakka thermal power project in West Bengal," according to Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari.

The 2,100 MW thermal power project gets coal from the Rajmahal Coal Fields of Eastern Coalfields Ltd in Jharkhand. Hurdles in the supply of coal from these mines through railways had affected the project.

The Farakka Super Thermal Power Station started the movement of imported coal by barges through inland waterway last year.

The first set of three barges carrying about 1,500 tonnes each of imported coal berthed near Farakka station on November 13, 2013, NTPC said in a BSE filing at the time. The utility said it will transport 3 million tonnes of coal a year through the inland waterway to the Farakka station for seven years.

The final phase of the Farakka plant was commissioned in March 2011. The project supplies electricity to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim, Assam and Tripura.

NTPC, the country's largest power producer, has an installed generation capacity of 43,108 MW, of which 37,049 MW is coal-based.

Gadkari has said waterways are a fuel-efficient mode of transport, costing barely 55 paise a km compared with Rs 1.50 for highways.

The promotion of inland waterways is part of the new government's larger plan to clean the Ganga. Under the plan, the Water Resources, Shipping, Environment and Tourism ministries will evaluate the proposal and work in co-operation with each other.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up an inter- ministerial group under the chairpersonship of Gadkari for this purpose.(PTI)