India’s Cabinet Minister for Transport, Nitin Gadkari has mooted greater useage of Inland waterways for transport, especially for coal, used extensively by India’s power and steel sectors.
India has a huge number of rivers, of which, 111 have been targetted as potential water highways, for which the current Government is tabling a bill this winter session in the Parliament.
According to this, these rivers will get a status of ‘National Waterways’, which will enable the Inland waterways authority of India to create requisite infrasctructure along these rivers for ease of cargo and passenger transport and handling.
Gadkari said that water transport is the most effective, not only in terms of cost, but also environment, as according to him, every litre of fuel moves 24 Ton-Km on road, 85 by rail, and an impressive 105 on water.
The passage of this bill in Parliament carries the potential to save the nation Rs.100 Billion in fuel bill, just on coal alone, says the Minister.
