By Desaraju Surya
Hyderabad: In what will be a major leap for the state in terms of shipping of goods, inland water transport is set to take off soon as the Centre is actively considering the AP government’s proposal to declare rivers Godavari (between Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry) and Krishna (between Wazirabad and Vijayawada) as National Waterways. Besides, some main canals like Kakinada, Eluru, Commamuru and north and south Buckingham canal will also be integrated with the proposed National Waterways. In fact, the National Transport Policy Committee, set up in 1980, has identified and recommended rivers Krishna and Godavari as National Waterways. The working group of the IX and X Plans has identified port-hinterland connectivity through waterways as one of the prime areas to be developed. In all, the proposed water way will stretch to a length of 1,073 km in the state. The Centre has recently approved the state government’s proposal to take up a techno-economic feasibility study of eight canals for development of inland water ways in the state. The state government has decided to entrust the techno-economic feasibility survey work to the Rail India Technical and Engineering Services Company (Rites), for which the Union shipping ministry has sanctioned Rs 15 lakh as the first installment. The eight canals inlcude: backwaters of Gouthami and Godavari (50 km), Gannavaram bank canal between Rajahmundry and Sakhinetipalli (90 km), Amalapuram canal (80 km), Kotipalli canal between Rajahmundry and Yanam (90 km), Samarlakota canal (65 km), Korangi canal (90 km), Machilipatnam canal between Vijayawada and Machilipatnam (80 km) and Ryves canal from Vijayawada to Kaikaluru (100 km). Minister for mines and geology P Sabita Indra Reddy said the government of India has agreed to extend a financial assistance of Rs 550 crore for the inland water transport project on river Godavari between Charla in Khammam district and Rajahmundry. Meanwhile, government sources said the Centre has also cleared a project for development of inland water transport (IWT) on the Buckingham Canal linking Kakinada and Chennai (Mercaunum). The project is expected to give a major boost to the coastal economy as it envisages shipping of bulk goods, cement, chemicals, coal, fertilisers, foodgrains, general goods, iron and steel, rice, salt and other commodities using the IWT. Official sources monitoring the project proposals said the project would cost Rs 433 crore. While 20 per cent of the project cost of terminal construction will be taken up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the balance will be outsourced to private investors on a build-operate-transfer basis. The integrated waterway system provides connectivity to Kakinada, Chennai and Ennore ports. Of the total 971 km stretch of waterway, 887 km falls in Andhra Pradesh and the rest in Tamil Nadu. The project envisages development and maintenance of a fairway having 32 mts bottom width and 1.60m\1.8 m depth and construction of 13 inland water terminals. The Union secretary, shipping, had written to the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu requesting their participation in the project by way of transfer of government land on both sides of the canal to the IWAI to facilitate excavation for widening, bank protection etc. The AP government has already accepted the proposal and issued necessary instructions to the district collectors.
Hyderabad: In what will be a major leap for the state in terms of shipping of goods, inland water transport is set to take off soon as the Centre is actively considering the AP government’s proposal to declare rivers Godavari (between Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry) and Krishna (between Wazirabad and Vijayawada) as National Waterways. Besides, some main canals like Kakinada, Eluru, Commamuru and north and south Buckingham canal will also be integrated with the proposed National Waterways. In fact, the National Transport Policy Committee, set up in 1980, has identified and recommended rivers Krishna and Godavari as National Waterways. The working group of the IX and X Plans has identified port-hinterland connectivity through waterways as one of the prime areas to be developed. In all, the proposed water way will stretch to a length of 1,073 km in the state. The Centre has recently approved the state government’s proposal to take up a techno-economic feasibility study of eight canals for development of inland water ways in the state. The state government has decided to entrust the techno-economic feasibility survey work to the Rail India Technical and Engineering Services Company (Rites), for which the Union shipping ministry has sanctioned Rs 15 lakh as the first installment. The eight canals inlcude: backwaters of Gouthami and Godavari (50 km), Gannavaram bank canal between Rajahmundry and Sakhinetipalli (90 km), Amalapuram canal (80 km), Kotipalli canal between Rajahmundry and Yanam (90 km), Samarlakota canal (65 km), Korangi canal (90 km), Machilipatnam canal between Vijayawada and Machilipatnam (80 km) and Ryves canal from Vijayawada to Kaikaluru (100 km). Minister for mines and geology P Sabita Indra Reddy said the government of India has agreed to extend a financial assistance of Rs 550 crore for the inland water transport project on river Godavari between Charla in Khammam district and Rajahmundry. Meanwhile, government sources said the Centre has also cleared a project for development of inland water transport (IWT) on the Buckingham Canal linking Kakinada and Chennai (Mercaunum). The project is expected to give a major boost to the coastal economy as it envisages shipping of bulk goods, cement, chemicals, coal, fertilisers, foodgrains, general goods, iron and steel, rice, salt and other commodities using the IWT. Official sources monitoring the project proposals said the project would cost Rs 433 crore. While 20 per cent of the project cost of terminal construction will be taken up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the balance will be outsourced to private investors on a build-operate-transfer basis. The integrated waterway system provides connectivity to Kakinada, Chennai and Ennore ports. Of the total 971 km stretch of waterway, 887 km falls in Andhra Pradesh and the rest in Tamil Nadu. The project envisages development and maintenance of a fairway having 32 mts bottom width and 1.60m\1.8 m depth and construction of 13 inland water terminals. The Union secretary, shipping, had written to the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu requesting their participation in the project by way of transfer of government land on both sides of the canal to the IWAI to facilitate excavation for widening, bank protection etc. The AP government has already accepted the proposal and issued necessary instructions to the district collectors.
No comments:
Post a Comment