A stretch of the Ganga river between Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Manihari Ghat in Bihar turned into an unlikely spectacle on Monday, as three massive cargo ships sailed through carrying reactors so large they looked like moving hills. The vessels were loaded with huge vacuum towers and industrial reactors, and their sheer size left onlookers gathered at the ghats struggling to believe that machinery this big could be transported by water at all.
Phones Out as Crowds Capture a Rare Sight
As the convoy of ships moved closer to the ghats, people from nearby villages rushed to the riverbank to watch. Locals and young residents pulled out their mobile phones to record photos and videos of the moment, and the footage quickly began circulating on social media. Bystanders were seen discussing the shape and scale of the reactors among themselves, trying to guess where such enormous equipment could be headed. Ships of this size are not a common sight in the Sahibganj-Manihari stretch of the river, which made the whole event feel new and memorable for residents.
Reactors Are Headed to a Refinery Plant
According to those familiar with such shipments, the giant vacuum towers and reactors loaded on the ships are the kind of equipment used in large petroleum or industrial refinery plants. Because of their extreme weight and size, moving them by road would be difficult and risky, so they are instead being ferried safely along the Ganga waterway to their destination. Transporting such heavy equipment by water is considered a much safer option, since it reduces the chances of jolts or damage that could occur on road journeys.
A Sign That Inland Waterways Are Becoming a Major Freight Route
The movement of such heavy industrial cargo along the Ganga also points to a bigger shift, inland waterways in the country are increasingly being used as a serious channel for trade and freight movement. Bulky machinery that would otherwise be difficult to move by road is now being shipped from one state to another via the river with relative ease. For now, the passage of these three enormous ships remains the biggest talking point in Sahibganj and the surrounding areas, with residents continuing to share videos and photos of the sighting.
