Faced with little patronage for the 205-km-long Kollam-Kottappuram National Waterway III, which was inaugurated in 2007, and the ambitious plans drawn up by successive governments to shift movement of hazardous and bulk cargo through inland waterways falling flat, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is finally gearing up to invigorate NW III.
The IWAI, which attracted considerable flak for the next to nil patronage for national waterways in the State (barring select corridors in Ernakulam), despite investing over ₹300 crore, is readying to set in motion a project to transport hydrochloric acid from Kochi to Chavara through NW III. “The waterway corridor is navigable, including at night. The reconstruction of the navigation lock at Thrikkunnapuzha is under way. In addition, tenders have been invited for dredging the waterway south of Chavara up to Kollam,” said IWAI Director Mathew George.
Transit of cargo through the Akkulam-Chavakkad waterway, which is part of the 620-km Kovalam-Bekal waterway, too has not gained momentum, despite assurances to the contrary. Moreover, the detailed project report (DPR) for extending NW III beyond Kottappuram up to Kozhikode is yet to be finalised, many years since the proposal was mooted.
Work to dredge and widen the Kollam-Kovalam and Kozhikode-Beypore State waterways too is yet to fully materialise, despite frequent announcements that transport of bulk cargo will be shifted to waterways, considered the least polluting and the most energy-efficient and economical mode of transport, in a phased manner, it is learnt.
All this has resulted in just a few inland waterway canals in Ernakulam being relied on for transporting ammonia, sulphur, rock phosphate, and hydrochloric acid from the port to industrial units in the city suburbs. The IWAI’s roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels ferry container-laden lorries in the Willingdon Island-Bolgatty Island corridor, while Water Metro ferries are slated to commence operations from April 2022 through NW III stretches in the Greater Kochi area.
Hazardous cargo
Interestingly, the State government has not taken a policy decision to transport hazardous cargo like petroleum products, LPG, and chemicals through underutilised waterways, despite a chain of fatal accidents involving lorries transporting them. Highly-placed sources in petroleum firms said pipelines like the one between Kochi and Salem were being readied to transport hazardous cargo like LPG.
“But no policy decision has been taken to curb their transport through roads. In the long run, one would need specialised barges and terminals to transport such hazardous cargo through waterways. Another option is to introduce Ro-Ro barges, which in turn will ensure last-mile connectivity as well,” they added.
