Maersk will start using national waterway-1 (NW-1) or the Ganga waterway.

Maersk will move 16 containers from Varanasi to Kolkata on Feb 12. With Maersk on board, cargo from the hinterland will move directly to and from Bangladesh and rest of the world through Bay of Bengal.

PM Modi had inaugurated India's first multi-modal terminal on inland waterways at Varanasi in 2018.

Earlier companies like Pepsico, Emami Agrotech, Iffco fertilizers and Dabur India have moved their containers on River Ganga.

The government is developing NW-1 under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Varanasi to Haldia for navigation of large vessels with a capacity of 1,500-2,000 deadweight tonnage.

The main objective is to promote inland waterways for cargo movement.

The JMVP is being developed with the technical and financial assistance of the World bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crore.