The Hindu Business Line : Govt initiates steps to declare 3 new national waterways

THE Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr T. R. Baalu, said the Government has initiated steps for declaration of three new National Waterways, namely the Kakinada-Pondicherry Canal integrated with the Godavari and Krishna rivers, the Barak river and the East Coast canal integrated with the Brahmani river.

"The first of these proposed National Waterways passes through Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the second is entirely in Assam but is connected with Haldia and Kolkata ports through the waterways in Bangladesh, and the third is in Orissa and West Bengal," an official release said here. Mr Baalu was speaking at the fifth meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached with the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways here. He said because of its cost-effectiveness and environment-friendly nature, inland water transport had been identified as a thrust area by the Government. The modal share of this transport was targeted to be increased from the below 1 per cent currently to at least 2 per cent in the next 10 years.

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