Inland waterways to get a boost

Plans are underway to give a big boost to shipping activity in the inland waterways. Cashing on the tourism boom and the numerous mega power projects set to come up the government is putting in place several measures that will also see river tourism taking a higher growth trajectory.

Officials are certain of getting excellent results since water transport is fuel efficient, environment friendly and a cheaper mode of transport than road and rail. Besides, India is richly endowed with navigable waterways, comprising rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, etc. An estimated 14,544 km of the waterways could be used for passenger and cargo movement. At present 44 million tonnes of cargo is being moved annually by inland water transport (IWT) it comprises only 0.5% of the domestic cargo traffic.

But when it comes to cruise tourism, the states in the North East through which the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Yamuna flow and those of the South including Goa and Kerala have stolen a march

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