- Crucial move by the Modi government to make the Ganga-Hooghly waterway navigable for freight movement by vying for a World Bank loan of up to $1 billion or about Rs. 6,000 crore
- The key agenda of NDA government is development of inland waterway to open up options for high volume freight
- Talks are on between the World Bank and Inland Water Way authorities for constructing teo barrages on the Ganga-Hooghly River
- Environmentalists are not so happy with the decision and it highlighted the danger od sedimentationand will affect fishers
- River transportation is the best means to boost the economic growth since it is the cheapest available option and barges has started supplying imported coal to the Farakka super thermal power plant
- India wants to follow China which is building an island waterway network by the help of World Bank Funding and other network resources currently 15000 km of navigable waterways and hopes to add 5000 km by 10 years
- About 1000 crore is being spent by New Delhi for developing waterways of which Rs.20000 crore and will be raised from government resources and the remaining by borrowing from private sector
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/big-push-for-inland-waterways/article6276001.ece