The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has inaugurated the first river information system (RIS) of India. The new system will facilitate safe and accurate navigation on National Waterway-1. The RIS is being implemented under the responsibility of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). The new information system is a combination of modern tracking equipment-related hardware and software designed to optimise traffic and transport processes in inland navigation. In this project the vessels are being monitored by installing seven remote base station sites, at Haldia, Garden Reach jetty, Tribeni, Swaroopganj, Kumarpur, Ballia and Farakka, at a cost of Rs 262.3 million.