Centre plans to give a big boost to inland waterways: Gadkari

* Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announces plans to focus on inland waterways development for goods and passenger transport
* Emphasis to be laid on constructing concrete roads, Amravati-Surat highway to be a concrete road

By Kartik Lokhande 

A few Indians know that there is an independent authority called Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. Soon, it will be known to all. For, it is all set to get a boost.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday, unveiled that the plans were afoot to give a boost to inland waterways development in the country. Shedding light on the proposed project, under Ministry of Shipping, Gadkari said that the Central Government was preparing a massive Rs 8,000 crore plan pertaining to ‘water and transport’. “As it comes under my ministry, I am working on developing water ports/terminals and introducing sea-planes in the country. Recently, I have approved sea-plane transport between Juhu and Nariman Point in Mumbai and it will start in six months,” he said.
Speaking at the valedictory function of Vijnana Bharati national convention here, the senior BJP leader said that if road transport cost Rs 1.50 per unit, rail transport cost Re 1, and waterways transport cost only 50 paise per unit. “Waterways is the most cost effective means for transport of goods like raw material to industries, and passenger transport. The rivers like Ganga and Yamuna are being cleaned up and those could be used for inland waterways. In fact, 24 wateways terminals were proposed along these rivers. The challenge will be in encouraging waterways transport and still keeping the rivers clean,” he elaborated. A part of the waterways transport will be amphibious buses that will ply on roads as well as in water. On Monday, he said, a company was to make a presentation on these amphibious buses.
Advocating the use of inland waterways, Gadkari said that coal was being transported from Odisha to Gujarat for thermal power plants. This had contributed to increase in generation cost of power in coastal areas, and land-locked areas were getting imported coal transported there from coasts. To save this money wasted on transports, the Government was mooting to use road-transported coal in land-locked areas and imported coal in coastal areas. “This will help the economy a lot,” he observed.
As far as the country’s road network is concerned, the Union Minister said that emphasis would be on construction of concrete roads. “Bitumen roads are alright but Indian money goes to other countries as bitumen is imported. Material for concrete roads is available through industries in India, and these roads require little maintenance and saves money on recurring expenditure,” he explained. He announced that Amravati-Surat portion of highway would be a concrete road.

Nagpur to get four buses
running on 100% Ethanol
Soon, Nagpur city may get four buses that will run on 100 per cent Ethanol. According to Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, technology had advanced to the extent that 100 per cent Ethanol could be used in automobiles. “A Bangalore-based company is doing it, and Nagpur will get four buses running on 100 per cent Ethanol. We want to encourage use of Ethanol and alternative fuel, produced domestically, in automobiles as it will save great national wealth going to other countries in the form of Oil Import Bills,” he said. However, he added, the Government will have to deal sternly with ‘the strong lobby’ behind imports of petroleum and products. Motor vehicle and pollution related laws in countries like United Kingdom, United States of America, Japan, Germany was in progress to explore the possibility of adopting fuel-engine norms of international standards, he added. 

29-06-14