Waterways can cut logistics cost by 4%: Nitin Gadkari

Rajkot: Waterways transport in India is all set for a revolution and has potential to bring down logistics cost by 4% that will propel exports by 30%, Union minister for shipping, road transport and water resources Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.
Gadkari kicked off Container Corporation of India’s (Concor) maiden containers voyage through coastal shipping from Kandla to Tuticorin port via Mangalore and Cochin through video conferencing here. He said that the easing of policies has resulted in arresting 30% of Colombo-bound containers.

Concor said that the foray into coastal move is aimed at strengthening the infrastructure along the west coast to start with and further extend to east coast. “Container shipping operations envisage deployment of two vessel each of 22,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage) capable of carrying about 700 containers (twenty foot equivalent units). There will be weekly service from Kandla Port via Mangalore, Cochin and Tuticorin,” Concor said.

Gadkari said said many firsts in the country were lined up as massive works were underway on projects for turning 11 rivers into waterways besides pilot run of aeroboats on Ganga on January 26. “The share of coastal shipping (in movement of cargo) in China is 24%, Germany 11% and in USA it is 9% but in India it is barely 4.5 to 5 per cent....Massive works are underway to develop waterways which many thought was a dream only. Of the 111 rivers to be converted into waterways, projects are underway on 11,” Gadkari said.

In the first phase, with West Coast operation, Concor is expecting a million tonnes of cargo per annum besides anotehr million tonnes by starting East Coast operations. “After consolidation of Concor's position in western sector, Concor proposes to further expand the services in the eastern sector also duly connecting ports like Kattupalli, Vishakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Krishnapatnam, Paradip and Haldia with Tuticorin as a hub for east and west coasts,” it said.