Minister of Transport Nitin Gadkari said that he hopes to realise his plan of developing the water route on Yamuna River between Delhi and Agra within two years. “We had ordered a study to decide the feasibility of connecting Delhi-Agra by waterway in December. The inland waterways study is its final leg and we should have a report by the end of next month,” Gadkari told The Pioneer after a Press conference on Tuesday.
“I am very positive on the feasibility study report and once it is in place, we will give out tenders to develop the stretch at the earliest,” he said. A Netherlands-based agency has been roped in by the Centre to work out a technical report on developing the infrastructure on the Yamuna River to facilitate goods and passenger traffic. “We will try and give out the project on public-private partnership mode,” said Gadkari.
According to officials in the Ministry of Shipping, there are certain terrains along Yamuna river stretch connecting Delhi-Agra which get dry during the peak summer months. The study will help analyze ways by which water can be retained all the stretch throughout the year.
In the past, Gadkari had suggested building of infrastructure like barrages, reservoirs, river-side ports and terminals on the Delhi-Agra stretch to ensure at least five metres water in the Yamuna all through the year for transportation purposes.
The move is expected to give a major boost to the tourism sector, as Delhi and Agra figure among the popular tourist destinations. The Government is also planning to build port infrastructure in other coastal cities like Varanasi, Allahabad and Patna among others. The Ministry of Shipping has also moved a proposal to the Cabinet to convert 101 rivers into waterways. On Tuesday, Gadkari also announced that his ministry would seek Parliament approval in the ongoing session to allow the conversion.
“For 55 rivers, consultants have been appointed and detailed project reports (DPR) are being formulated,” said Gadkari. Currently, India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which comprise rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. About 55 million tonnes of cargo is moved annually by inland water transport (IWT). Government wants to increase the capacity five fold over by 2020. Waterways could contribute significantly in propelling economic growth, he said.
