Kerala - Kochi   

Kollam waterway carries record cargo

KOCHI: The 205-km-long Kollam-Kottapuram National Waterway III was used to transport 10.7 lakh tonnes of cargo in 2006-’07, B. R. Menon, Chairman of the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation and the Advisor to the State Government on development of inland waterways and ports, has said.

“This is as compared to eight lakh tonnes carried through the 1,800-km-long NW I (passing through the Ganges) and seven lakh tonnes carried through the 800-km-long NW II (passing through Brahmaputra) during the same period,” he said, quoting a report prepared by the Inland Waterways Authority of India. Mr. Menon was addressing mediapersons after announcing the commissioning of Sagara Rani II, the sister vessel of KSINC’s Sagara Rani, the only seaworthy tourist boat operating in Kochi since 2004. The NW III holds tremendous possibility to transport goods at economical rates. “Water transport has the highest energy efficiency, much more than that of railways and road transport. This results in saving huge quantities of fuel.” He said that there is need to ensure better connectivity between islands in the State by putting more boats and junkars into operation. More junkar services are required to places like West Kochi, from the mainland.

Answering a question on some workers of the State Water Transport Department finding it difficult to operate fibre-reinforced-plastic boats built by KSINC, Mr. Menon said that fibre boats are becoming popular worldwide. They are safe, cost-effective and easy to maintain. “We have been training SWTD workers to steer these modern vessels.”

Sagara Rani II, which will be put in operation in the Kochi backwaters, was completely overhauled at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs, said the Corporation’s MD, K.V. R. Varier. “Apart from regular cruises, we have exclusive package offers to people who would like to host a party or a board meeting in the vessel,” he said.

It can carry 100 passengers and has an air-conditioned conference hall. Music floor, restaurant etc., are there on the upper deck.

Apart from operating tourist boats, the Corporation is engaged in building and repairing small and medium-sized vessels.

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