Experts urged the Andhra Pradesh government to tap the potential of coastal shipping and inland waterways for the overall development of the region from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada.

SC Mishra, Director of the Visakhapatnam centre of Indian Maritime University and some other experts in the shipping industry said this at the recently held Vizag Bay investment summit.

Mishra said waterways and coastal shipping have the potential to trigger the development of the region by offering an economical transport solution to the industries as well as people.

Therefore, they suggested the Andhra Pradesh government to expedite the setting up a state maritime board, on the lines of the Gujarat board.

A maritime board is an essential pre-requisite to promote coastal shipping and use of inland waterways in the state and to draw investment from the private sector. The board would not only provide a single window clearance for the project proposals but also enable the Government to plan development of infrastructure. The state government should learn from the experiences of similar boards in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Sitaram Nadimpalli, founder-director of Reveille Engineers, said.

Mishra wants the state government to make full use of the National Waterway 4 – Kakinada-Puducherry – the second longest National Waterway in India. The IMU can help entrepreneurs with ship design, hydrographic studies, training and mentoring.