Press Information Bureau

In a written reply given to Rajya Sabha today,the Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya informed the House that Government is continuously monitoring and striving to reduce the turnaround time of vessels at ports. A Study has been conducted for benchmarking efficiency and productivity of Major Ports to bring them at par with the international standards. The study identified 116 port-wise action points out of which93 initiatives have already been completed which resulted in reduction of turnaround time at Major Ports from 82.32 hours in the year 2016-17 to 59.51 hours in the year 2018-19. 

For promoting inland water transport in the country as an economical, environment friendly supplementary mode of transport, Minister Mandaviya informed the house that 111 Inland Waterways were declared as National Waterways (NWs), namely NW-1(Ganga–Bhagirathi- Hooghly River), NW-2 (River Brahmaputra) and NW-3 (West Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam) which have already developed with vessels plying on them.  In addition to this, NW-10 (River Amba), NW-68 (River Mandovi), NW-73 (River Narmada), NW-83 (Rajpuri Creek), NW-85 (Revadanda Creek-Kundalika River System), NW-91 (Shastri River-Jaigad Creek System), NW-97 (Sunderbans Waterways), NW-100 (River Tapi) and NW-111 (River Zuari) are also operational

He also further shared that Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is implementing the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) at an estimated cost of Rs.5369.18 crore for capacity augmentation on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of NW-1 with the technical assistance of the World Bank.  Projects worth Rs.1800 crore approximately have commenced on ground in a time period of three years after statutory clearances.  Also, fairway development works have also commenced in Vijayawada-Muktyalasretch of River Krishna (part of NW-4) at a cost of Rs.96 crore.

*****

NB/MS

(Release ID: 1592055) Visitor Counter : 280