New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) In a bid to tap the vast potential for bulk transportation of goods at low cost through inland waterways, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has initiated steps to fast-track development of such infrastructure by state-run and private firms.

India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways comprising rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks that can be used to move cargo in a green, fuel-efficient mode. Like national highways, the country has three functional national waterways with two more underway.

“The initiative will harness huge potential of inland waterways in transporting bulk cargo like coal, foodgrains, fertilizers, project cargo, fly ash, and containers at competitive cost for public and private sector firms ,” an official statement said.

“Adequate use of waterways will also ease the burden on rail and road infrastructure.”

The statement came after a high level meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office which noted that a pact among National Thermal Power Corp, Inland Waterways Authority of India and a private developer has led to competitive transportation rates for the state-run firm.

Investment worth Rs.650 crore has also been committed by the private sector.

The other decisions taken at the meeting include:

-Long-term cargo commitment of 3 million tonnes by National Thermal Power Corp for the Barh power project in Bihar once its five units start operations by 2016-17.

-Execution of a coal handling facility at Jogighopa in Assam with rail connectivity.

-Long-term cargo commitment by Food Corporation of India for three years to transport grains to Tripura and Assam from Kolkata and within Assam using inland waterways.

-Efforts my external affairs ministry for early completion of Ashuganj multi-modal port by Bangladesh and its regular use as a transit port.

-Shipping ministry to consider providing additional money to ensure night navigation on the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route.

-Oil and Natural Gas Corp and Oil India to convey a firm cargo commitment through inland waterways in two weeks.

-Container Corp to provide similar firm commitment for part-transportation of goods via inland waterways from their operations at Pandu in Assam.

“The progress on these decisions will be reviewed in two months time by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister,” the official statement added.

About 55 million tones of cargo moves annually through inland waterways but along a few stretches in Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra, Barak, rivers in Goa, backwaters of Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai and the deltaic regions of Krishna-Godavari.