Lok Sabha Question No. 2085 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-10
Subject: Inland Waterways
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: RAGHAV LAKHANPAL, RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2085 TO BE ANSWERED ON10 TH  MARCH, 2016

## INLAND WATERWAYS

2085.SHRI RAGHAV LAKHANPAL: DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'': SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased to state:

## पोतप�रवहनमंत्

- (a) the details of the inland waterways available in the country at present, State/ UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to encourage inland waterways system, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the inland waterways proposed to be developed during the next three years, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the funds allocated for this purpose during the last three years and the current year, year and State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the extant policy of the Government regarding construction of National Waterways Transport Grid which was supposed to cover primarily five national waterways?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

- (a):   The following so far. The details of these waterways State / UT- wise are as below:
- i) Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system (Allahabad-Haldia-1620 km) in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as NW-1, declared in 1986.
- ii) River  Brahmaputra  (Dhubri-Sadiya-891  km)  in  the  state  of  Assam  as  NW-2 declared in 1988.
- iii) West Coast Canal (Kottapuram-Kollam) along with Udyogmandal and Champakara Canals - (205 km) in the state of Kerala as NW-3 declared in 1993.
- iv)  Kakinada- Puducherry canals along with Godavari and Krishna rivers (1078 km) - in the  states  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  Telangana,  Tamil  Nadu  and  Union  territory  of Puducherry as NW-4 declared in 2008.
- v) East  Coast  Canal  integrated  with  Brahmaniriver  and  Mahanadi  delta  rivers  (588 km) in the states of West Bengal and Odisha as NW-5 declared in 2008.
- (b):        Yes,  Madam.    The  'National  Waterway  Bill,  2015'  for  declaration  of  106  additional waterways  as  National  Waterways  has  already  been  passed  by  the  LokSabha  during Winter Session, 2015. The same is expected to be considered by the RajyaSabha during the current Budget Session, 2016.

Besides  the  proposal  for  declaration  of  106  additional  waterways  as  National Waterways, a project named as 'Jal Marg Vikas' has been taken up with technical and financial  assistance  of  the  World  Bank  for  the  capacity  augmentation  of  National Waterway-1 from Haldia to Allahabad.  The project aims at providing an assured depth of  2.5  -  3.0  metresof  fairway  to  enable  safe  navigation  of  at  least  1,500  -  2,000  tonne vessels.

- (c):The process for preparation of techno economic feasibility studies / detailed project reports for the proposed 106 New waterways has been initiated and based on the availability of resources  and  outcome  of  these  reports,  the  number  and  scope  of  waterways  to  be developed in the next three years would be decided.

(d):            The  amount  allocated  fordevelopment  of  NWs  during  the  last  three  years  are  given below:

(Rs. In crores)

| Year    |   Amount allocated as per RE | Expenditure           |
|---------|------------------------------|-----------------------|
| 2012-13 |                      148.11  | 147.85                |
| 2013-14 |                      144     | 130.0752              |
| 2014-15 |                      118.985 | 118.9836              |
| 2015-16 |                      287.72  | 286.52(upto Feb. 2016 |

- (e): For  the  waterways  covered  under  the  Integrated  National  Waterways  Transportation Grid (INTG) proposals are being taken up subject to their feasibility and availability of resources..

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