Shifting movement of hazardous cargo from congested and accident-prone highways to Kollam-Kottapuram National Waterway III (NW III) is yet to take off, despite promises by State government following tanker-lorry accidents.
“The government’s reluctance to incentivise cargo transport through the 205-km-long waterway and inadequate patronage from industrial units that transport hazardous and bulk cargo, are to blame for the waterway remaining shoddily under-utilised. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) conducts frequent dredging of the waterway to ensure that it is safe and navigable during day and night. The aim is to decongest Kerala’s narrow highways by shifting a major chunk of goods transport to the waterway,” a senior official of the agency said.
They said encroachers would remove fishing nets and other hindrances to fast and smooth movement of vessels once more barges and passenger vessels operate through the waterway. Though Fisheries Department removes nets, wooden poles etc., that hamper smooth and safe navigation they are often reinstalled by fishermen, choking the waterway.
The CMD of Backwater Navigation Company, A.M. James, who is also general secretary of Kerala Maritime Organisation, demanded that the government must extend the Re. 1 per tonne, per km subsidy to barge operators in NW III. “The subsidy is now available only for ships transporting cargo through the coastal waterway. His firm operates a 200-tonne-capacity barge from Wellingdon Island to FACT’s Ambalamugal unit to transport ammonia. “The tariff is Rs. 260 per tonne, whereas taking a 200-tonne consignment through Kochi’s congested roads in approximately 14 lorries would cost much more and also worsen traffic hold ups.”
While the government denies subsidy for inland shipping, IWAI has begun levying waterway usage fee from the few barges that operate through NW III. This would further dissuade vessel operators. My firm had been asked to pay Rs 20,000 per month, he said.
IWAI sources said the fee was just 2 paise per tonne per km.
