Guwahati: Union Port, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore to improve its inland waterways in the coming five years.
This was informed by the Union Minister during the second meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), at Kohora in Assam’s Kaziranga.
The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), apex meet for policy deliberation for the promotion and propagation of inland waterways in India, witnessed major announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the nodal agency for the development of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW).
The IWDC began with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony by Assam Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma along with the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said over Rs 23,000 crore has been earmarked for New National Waterways Development and Green Shipping initiatives in inland waterways.
He said the centre is planning to develop shipbuilding and ship repair facilities across all 111 national waterways (NWs).
“This will reduce logistics costs, boosting ancillary industries,” Sonowal added.
A Riverine Community Development Scheme was mooted at IWDC to improve the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities.
This will be through developing infrastructure, promotion of trade and tourism along with the riverine ecosystem, providing skill enrichment training and upgrading traditional knowledge of river of the communities.
The union minister announced the setting up of six floating steel jetties on the river Godavari (NW 4) at Gandipochamma Temple, Pochavaram, Perantapalli village in Andhra Pradesh.
A Quick Pontoon Opening Mechanism (QPOM) designed by IIT–Kharagpur will be extended to all the NWs.
At the IWDC, Sonowal unveiled initiatives with an investment of more than Rs 1400 crore to boost inland waterways transport network in 21 states of the country.
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The meet was attended by Union Minister of State for MoPSW, Shantanu Thakur; Ports Minister of Goa, Aleixo Sequeira; Transport Minister of Assam, Jogen Mohan; Transport Minister of Manipur, Khashim Vashum; Transport Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Satish Sharma; Transport Minister of Mizoram, Pu Vanlalhlana and Transport Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Ojing Tasing, among others.
In Uttar Pradesh, the centre is planning to boost inland waterways transport by building eight floating jetties in Mathura and two steel jetties in Ayodhya along with an electric catamaran.
