The Hindu : National : Waterways Bills passed

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Waterways Bills passed

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed two bills to declare water stretches in five States, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, as national waterways. The National Waterways (Talcher-Dhamra stretch of rivers, Geonkhali-Charbatia stretch of East Coast Canal, Charbatia-Dhamra stretch of the Matai river and the Mahanadi delta rivers) Bill, 2006 and National Waterway (Kakinada-Pondicherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly tank, Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry stretch of river Godavari and Wazirabad-Vijayawada stretch of river Krishna) Bill, 2006 were passed by voice votes.

While thanking the members of the House for their support to the Bills, Shipping Minister T. R. Baalu said the first Bill will provide for declaration of the Talcher-Dhamra stretch of the Brahmani-Kharsua-Dharma rivers, the Geonkhali-Charbatia stretch of East Coast Canal, Charbatia-Dhamra stretch of the Matai river and Mahanadi delta rivers between Mangalgadi and Paradip in West Bengal and Orissa as national waterways.

It will also facilitate the regulation and development of the stretch of the rivers and the canals for shipping and navigation on the waterways.

While moving the second Bill, Mr. Baalu said it will provide for the declaration of the Kakinada-Pondicherry stretch of canals comprising the Kakinada canal, Eluru canal, Commamur canal, Buckingham canal and the Kaluvelly tank, the Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry stretch of the Godavari and the Wazirabad-Vijayawada stretch of the Krishna — in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry — as national waterways.

Earlier, tabling the Bills, Mr. Baalu said the inland water transport had been neglected but now it was recognised all over the world as the cheapest mode of transport.

He said a revised action plan to make the existing three waterways functional had also been prepared and funds approved.

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