Lok Sabha Question No. 1809 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-29
Subject: Inland Navigation
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: N.K. Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS

## uNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO 1809

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29TH JULY, 2021

## INLAND NAVIGATION

## ,I809.  SHRI N. K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of PoRTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS  be pleased to state:

## qnq,  da  qfila-d{  3frr q{cFf {-ff

- (a) whether the Union  Government  proposes  to develop the inland navigation;
- (b) if so, the details  of action  taken  by the Union Government  for the development  of inland navigation;
- (c) the details oI the  projects  approved  by the Union  Government  for the development  of lnland navigation  in the State  oI Kerala:
- (d) whether the Government  of Kerala completed the developmental,  activities  approved  by the union covernment  ro, tn" lnrrno  navigation  during the last five  years; if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the  present  stalus  of development  of the ongoing  projects in Kerala;
- rn whether the union  Government  proposes to complete the ongoing  projects in a time bound  manner; and if so the details  thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  FOR PORTS,  SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA  SONOWAL)

(a) & (b)  National Waterway-1  (NW-1) (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly  river system  from Atlahabad to Haldia),  NW-2 tn'u"' e'"i'"p't'"  fr-om Dhubri to.Sadiya)  NW-3 West  Coast canal from Kottapuram  to rorr"m  aroig ;ith  udyogmandal  and.champakara  canals)  have alreadv been developed  with o'*"v "i''s'iion"iaios letties  an-d terminals  with mechanized ::1ffi,.:ril"noin;'t"-"iiiti"t to' loading-and  unloadins  of carso . rhese wateruavs  are ooerationat  and vessels u'"  prving-; til; National  Witerways--tn addition'  NW-'I0  (river ill;;,  ,fu:;;  i;t;;-nilil 'nw;;6;t"''ada) NW-83 (Raipuri creek)' NW-85 rRevadanda  creek  - Kundalika *,r"r sr"i"rrl.  NW-91  (shastri .river-Jaigad creek system)' lffi:;;"iffi;;;.  w","*"v"1.'i*Iioo i,i,",  r"pit and NW-r1',r  (river zuari)  are arso operational.

The navigability  of the waterway  is monitored  through  regular  hydrographic  suNeys and channel  inspection  O, n"g'onli  ;n":r*"i".  .uppon"a  Oy SuU-Regional  Offices  located alonq the NWs  Fortnightly  ttyot"gt"phi"  ;";"Vs  are conduaed  todetermine  the available ;""# ffi';:;'r;  .i""] r"i'jtt"l "in" "t''n*t" to o"ttrmine  safe  navisabilitv  throushout the year. A constant  vigil u *"pi "t tft" 'i'u't"gi*" behavior  and accordingly  appropriate river conservancy m"""u"" "'" t"tJn  to ensure fa-irways  for safe movement  of vessels'

Based on the observation  during channel  inspection and hydrographic  surveys,  River Notices are issued and  placed  on lnland Waterways  Authority  of tndia  (lWAl) website with details  of Least Available  Depth  (LAD),  clearances at bridge structures  etc. along with any specilic information  lo be conveyed  to shippers to assist them  for safe transportation  of cargo on the National Waterways.

River lnformation  System (RlS) which aims to streamline  the exchange  of information  between wateMay  operators  and users  to optimize traffic and transport  processes in inland navigation, has been commissioned  on NW-1  (river Ganga) which iS Operational fetween  ttatdia-Farakka  (Ph-l) and Farakka  -  Patna  (Ph-ll)  stretches of the wateMay'

(c) to (f) The following  projects were approved  by IWAI for development  of lnland Navigation on NW-3 in the state of Kerala:

- (i) The construction/  modification  of existing  navigational  lock at Thrikunnapuzha  in NW-3 has been approved at a cost of Rs 38 crore and enkusted the work to lrrigation  Dept ' Govt ofKerala.AnamountofRS.33crorehasalreadybeenreleasedtolnlandNavigational Directorate  of Kerala towards executing the works on deposit basis  The  physical progress of work is about 45%.
- (ii) The construction  of road over bridge  across NW-3 at Kovilthottam  near Chavara  has l""n ,ppror"o  at a cost of Rs. 5.75 crore by cost sharing basis (50:50)  between  lWAl and Kerala  Minerals  and l,Ietals  Ltd. (KMML),  Chavara  (under  Govt' of Kerala)  The work has been enhusted  to Harbour Engineering  Dept', Govt of Kerala and 50% share of lWAl i'e ' Rs' '1.38  crore  has already been deposited  with Govt of Kerala'

The stretch of Kollam to Kotlapuram  of West Coast  Canal and Champakara  canal & Udyogamandal  Canals  (205 km) in Kerala  was declared as National WateMay  (NW-3) in lS6S.- lt ttas been further  extended  by 165 km in the North from Kottpuram  to Kozhikode  in April, 2016 by the National Waterways Act, 2Ol6  Development  of waterways for the stretch oi Koltam to Kottapuram of West Coast Canal and Champakara  canal & Udyogamandal Canals  has been completed except for 1.20 km between Edappallikotta  & Kollam and is being maintainedwithachannelof2mLeastAvailableDepthand32/3Smbottomwidth.The balancedcapitaldredging/WideningalongwithitsalliedactivitiesintheStretchEdappallikotta & Kollam at an estimited  cost of Rs 6 75 crore has been sanctioned NW-3 is operational with24hoursnavigationalfacilities,gpermanentintermodalterminalswithStoragefacilities and mechanized  equipment for loading/ unloading  of cargo  Annual fairway maintenance activities  between Kottapuram  -  Kollam along with champakara  & udyogmandal  canal sanctlonedatacostofRs.T.42(xo'€lolF\202,|-22.opealionsandMaintenance(o&M) of terminals on NW-3 sanctioned  ata costofRs 228 crore lor FY 2021-22  o&Mvessels on NW-3 sanctioned  at a cost of Rs l'85 crore during  FY 2021-22'  The developmental activities  on NW-8 & NW-g has also been taken up in phased manner to promote cargo and tourism  in Kerala.

lWAl is making all efforts to complete  the ongoing developmental  projects in a time bound manner.