The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Union Minister to inaugurate water transport terminal today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 12, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Union Minister to inaugurate water transport terminal today

Staff Reporter

Plan to extend waterway up to Kasaragod and Kovalam

KOCHI: Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu will inaugurate the inland water transport terminal at Binanipuram, Aluva, on Friday morning. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will preside over the function.

The National Waterway III (NW III) is located between Kottapuram and Kollam and steps are on to make it navigable. There is a plan to extend the waterway up to Kasaragod and Kovalam.

Now, the bulk of cargo transported by the waterways is cargo belonging to FACT, from the Kochi Port to Ambalamugal and Eloor.

Each year, barges carry about 13 lakh tonnes of cargo through NW III.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) plans and implements developmental works to enable shipping and navigation through the national waterways.

The Authority works to create a suitable shipping channel, setting up of cargo-handling terminals at commercially important places and provision of navigational aids for safe movement of ships.

The Union Government has schemes by which fiscal incentives are provided to entrepreneurs in the water-transport field. This is because it is an eco-friendly mode of transport. It is also fuel-efficient.

Crores of rupees can be saved each year if at least 0.1 of the cargo, which depends on other modes of transport, shifts to water transport.

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