IWAI wants more coal movement via waterways

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) want more transportation of coal through waterways, an official said on Wednesday. National Waterway (NW-1) holds immense potential for coal movement through inland waterways but still coal movement remains scanty, the official said.

However, currently most of the fly ash of power plants in West Bengal are being exported to Bangladesh through the protocol route.

“I will be meeting the Coal Minister today to move a certain percentage of coal through waterways,” IWAI chairperson Amita Prasad said while addressing Indian Chamber of Commerce organised e-conference on multimodal transport.

Prasad said inland waterways should get at least five per cent of the transport sector in the near future and 10 per cent by 2030 from 2.5 per cent now.

Speaking at the conference Union Minister of State for Road Transport Highways, V K Singh advocated for simpler rules and laws that will help easy interpretation.