Union shipping ministry and the Indian Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) are implementing certain projects with the specific objective of transportation of cargo by Inland Water Transport (IWT) mode.

   

This information was given by union shipping Minister GK Vasan. One such project is the transportation of 3 million tonne of coal every year for 7 years from Haldia (Sandheads) to NTPC’s Power Plant at Farakka through National Waterway – 1.

   

This project is already under implementation by a private sector company. Government has identified some more such projects which, inter-alia, include transportation of coal for NTPC’s Power Plant at Barh (near Patna), transportation of coal for NTPC Power Plant at Bongaigaon (near Jogighopa on National Waterway – 2), transportation of fertilizers on National Waterway – 1; and transportation of food grains from Kolkata to Tripura through Indo – Bangladesh Protocol Routes.

   

No specific proposal with regard to Kerala has been formulated. However, on the request of Government of Kerala, IWAI has undertaken a review techno-economic feasibility study for extension of National Waterway – 3 from Kollam to Kovalam in the South and Kottapuram to Kasaragode in the North through the consultant M/s NATPAC, the minister said.