National Waterway 4 (India)
Encyclopedia
National Waterway 4 is a 1095 kilometres (680.4 mi) long waterway
in India
. It has been declared as an Indian National Waterway and is currently under development. It connects the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh
, Tamil Nadu
, and the Union Territory
of Pondicherry. The NW-4 runs along the Coromandal Coast through Kakinada
, Eluru
, Commanur, Buckingham
Canals and also through part of Krishna
and Godavari
rivers in South India
. It was declared a National Waterway on 24 November 2008 under the Provisions of National Waterways Bill, 2006. It is being developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India
(IWAI), and is scheduled for completion in 2013.
through the Inland Waterways Authority of India
(IWAI) - the regulatory body for the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) sector. IWAI was set up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act in 1985 and given responsibility of development, maintenance, and regulation of national waterways in the country. It is a statutory autonomous body for regulating and developing navigation and shipping in the inland waterways. Along with IWAI, Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) also supports the IWT sector through transportation of cargo via inland waterways and the operation and maintenance of the vessels and waterway terminals. The first national waterways established in India were the NW-1,2 & 3 (est. in mid 1980s & 1993). They have a combined length of 2716 kilometres (1,687.6 mi).
. In addition to the three existing national waterways, the government also declared the following inland waterways as national waterways:
The proposals were made into law with the passage of the Inland Vessels (Amendment) Bill, 2005
in 2007. In October 2008, another bill - the National waterways Bill, 2006 - was passed in Parliament. It declared the Kakinada
-Pondicherry stretch of canals comprising the Kakinada canal, Eluru
canal, Commamur canal, Buckingham canal
, the Kaluvelly tank
, Bhadrachalam
- Rajahmundry
stretch of rivers Godavari, Wazirabad-Vijayawada
stretch of river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh
, TamilNadu, and Pondicherry as national waterways. According to this bill, it will take five years and 542 crores (5.42 Billion) (in 2002 prices) for the completion of the proposed new national waterways.
and 328 kilometres (203.8 mi) of river sections. In turn, the river section of the NW-4 comprises two major sections - a) " Godavari river section
" and b) " Krishna river section
" (after the two main rivers of the state of Andhra Pradesh
). The Godavari River section stretches from Bhadrachalam
to Dowleiswaram, Rajahmundry
. The Krishna River section stretches from Wazirabad Nalgonda district
to Prakasam Barrage, Vijayawada
.
The canal section of NW-4 is formed by a combination of the Kakinada canal, the Eluru
canal, Commamur canal, and the Buckingham canal
. The Kakinada canal runs between Kakinada
and Rajahmundry
for a length of 50 kilometres (31.1 mi). Starting from Dowleiswaram on the left bank of the river Godavari through a head sluice and lock to Kakinada (approx. 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) downstream from Kakinada Port). The canal gets its water from the Godavari through the Dowleiswaram barrage
and thereafter connects Kakinada anchorage port. It connects the Godavari river section from Bhadrachalam
to Rajahmundry
. The Eluru canal comprises two distinct irrigation-cum – navigation canals, namely the Krishna Eluru canal of the eastern Krishna delta and the Godavari Eluru canal of western Godavari delta. It runs between Vijayawada
to Vijjeswaram lock at Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton Barrage
for a total distance of 139 kilometres (86.4 mi). The Krishna Eluru canal takes off from the river section on the left bank of Krishna river on the upstream of Prakasam barrage through a head sluice at Vijayawada and meets Godavari Eluru canal at east Tammileru
lock at Eluru
.The Godavari Eluru canal takes off from the River section of river Godavari at Vijjeswaram (16°56′2"N 81°43′27"E) in Rajahmundry on the upstream of Dowleiswaram anicut through a head sluice and joins Krishna Eluru canal at East Tammileru
lock. The Commamur canal runs between Vijayawada Seethanagaram lock and Peddaganjam lock for a total length of 113 kilometres (70.2 mi) It takes off from the Krishna River section in river Krishna in Vijayawada on the right side upstream off Prakasam barrage through a head sluice at Seethanagaram
and joins the Buckingham canal at Peddaganjam Lock near Ongole. The Buckingham canal
is a tidal canal stretching from Peddaganjam lock to Chennai
and further down south up to Marakkanam
. The stretch of the canal from Peddaganjam lock to Chennai for a length of 316 kilometres (196.4 mi) is called "North Buckingham canal" and the canal path from Chennai
to Marakkanam
for a total length of 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) is called "South Buckingham canal". It was constructed during the 19th century along the Coromandal Coast. Marakkanam
is connected to the Sea (Bay of Bengal
) at Pondicherry by the Kalluvelly tank
.
The lengths of the NW-4 in the three states of Andhra Pradesh
, Tamil Nadu
, and the union-territory of Pondicherry are as follows::
. The first three National Waterways (NW-1, 2 & 3) are being developed for shipping and navigation by providing basic inland transport infrastructural facilities, including navigational channel with required depth and width, aids for day and night navigation, and terminals at selected locations for berthing and loading/unloading of vessels.
In NW-1 & 2, IWAI undertakes river conservatory works to provide navigational channel of 3 metres (9.8 ft), 2 metres (6.6 ft), and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) depth in different stretches during the low water period. In NW–3, IWAI is carrying out dredging to provide a navigational depth and width of 2 metres (6.6 ft) and 32 metres (105 ft), respectively. Development works are being carried out with the objective of making all three National waterways fully operational with cargo and other inland vessels by March 2012.
For National Waterways 4 and 5, IWAI initiated the proposals for development in July 2010. Techno-economic studies for establishment of National Waterways NW-4 was done by Water And Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), a subsidiary of Ministry of Water Resources
The completion period for NW-4 was estimated at seven years by Detailed Project Report prepared by WAPCOS, which is contrary to that of 2002 estimates which indicated five tears as completion period. 1707 Hectares of land are required for NW-4 construction; 300 Ha, 1380 Ha, and 27 Ha land has to be acquired in the states of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh
, and Pondicherry respectively.
Participation of Government Agencies, Public & Private Sector Entreprises in IWT / NW development
IWAI - Inland Water Transport Authority;
CIWTC - Central Inland Water Transport Corporation;
KSINCL- Kerala State Inland Navigation Company Limited.
was appointed by WAPCOS for conducting traffic studies for proposed waterway in 2005-06.
belt, Krishna
belt, South Andhra Pradesh
belt, and Chennai
belt. Based on the survey conducted by WAPCOS, the 11 million tonnes of cargo is expected to be transported through NW-4 every year. Types of cargo include coal
, rice
, foodgrains
, cement
, fertilisers, forest products, salt
, and other bulk cargo
. The Godavari river system flows through the Bhadrachalam
forests and coal
deposits. The Krishna River
flows through limestone
deposits and cement
industries at Jaggayyapeta
.
has abundant resources of limestone which are of use in cement and steel industries. Main consumers of limestone are nearby situated cement
and steel
industries like ACC
, Andhra Cement, Parthasarathy Cements & Industries Ltd and Gauthami Cements as well as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
is a substantially available commodity in this stretch due to its nearness to Singareni Collieries (SCCL) mines. Coal fields are located in Kothagudem
, Manuguru
and Yellandu. Rice
has a huge traffic potential in this downstream route up to Rajahmundry
. In the upstream direction, traffic potential will be gained by transportation of forest products, wood pulp
to Bhadrachalam
where major paper mills like ITC Bhadrachalam and Andhra Pradesh paper mills (APPML) are located. Apart from this, many small paper mills are located in the East and West Godavari districts.
to rajahmundry
are coal
, fertilizer
, salt
and rock Phosphate. In the upstream direction, rice bran extractions, cement clinker
and fertilizers will be the main cargos for transportation.
, fertilizer
and other general cargo are the substantive commodities which can boost the IWT in this stretch.
to Peddaganjam (Ongole) is a vital trade link connecting Kakinada belt with south A.P
and Tamil Nadu
. The major towns in the vicinity capable of promoting IWT are Vijayawada
, Guntur
and Ongole. Main traffic in the downward direction are rice and food grains. Forest products will form traffic in the upstream direction.
, fish
, granite
and vegetables in the downstream direction from Peddaganjam to Chennai
. In the upstream direction from Chennai
to Peddaganjam, the main traffic consists of fertilizers from Madras Fertilisers (MFL) plant located at Ennore
and salt
from Chennai
.
up to Marakkanam
can constitute significant traffic of salt and marine products because of salt pans
and aquaculture
shrimp farms all along the route. In the upstream direction from Pondicherry via Marakkanam
to Chennai
, the main traffic consists of salt
, fertilizers and timber
from Marakkanam
, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram
, Villupuram & Pondicherry.
saved thousands of lives in the states of Andhra Pradesh
and Tamilnadu along the coromandal coast from December 26 tsunami waves. Dr. B. Ramalingeswara Rao of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)
, Hyderabad reports that the Buckingham Canal acted as a buffer zone
and regulated the tsunami
waves on the coastal region over 310 kilometres (192.6 mi) from Pedda Ganjam to Chennai
. The tsunami waves drifted away towards the existing low-lying creeks
at several places.
The canal from Chennai
(Marakkanam
) to Durga Raya Patnam near Nellore
and then to Pedda Ganjam, all along the east coast was filled with tsunami water, which overflowed at a few places and receded back to sea within 10–15 min. This saved the lives of several fishermen, especially in coastal AP and parts of Chennai city.
0.5 Crore
per km, whereas developing a railway or roadway costs around INR
4-6 crore per km. As per estimates drawn by consultants M/s RITES, the project will cost INR
542 crore (as per 2002 prices) and facilitate movement of 100 tonne
vessels in the irrigation canal portion and 350 tonne
in the rivers and Buckingham canal portion.
The developmental works for NW-4 involve the widening of canal, dredging, excavation, bank protection, construction and repair of locks, modification of bridges and roads, navigational aids, and setting up of IWT terminals.
The cost estimated by WAPCOS is around 1515 Crore
, which involves two phase development of the project. Phase one of the project envisages development of a stretch comprising Godavari and Krishna rivers, and Kakinada and Eluru canals, which has maximum cargo potential, at an estimated cost of INR
390 Crore and land acquisition for remaining stretch at an estimated cost of INR
219 crore. Phase two of the project involves development of North and South Buckingham Canal, Commamur canal, and Kaluvelly Tank at an estimated cost of INR
906 crore
In the Tenth Five-Year Plan, Planning Commission has increased the budgetary provision for the development of inland water transport infrastructure to INR
636.73 crores, against INR
150.00 crores in the Ninth Five-Year Plan.
For the year 2009-2010, the government has released the following funds through Ministry of Shipping for development of IWT.
The Eleventh Five-Year Plan envisaged development of six national inland waterways. Although the government demarcated five such National Waterways, the shipping ministry is unable to start the work on developing two of them (NW-4 & NW-5), as Planning Commission has not approved the development plans until now. Ministry of Shipping awaits the sum of INR
500 Crores that it needs to carry out the development works.
As a result of the delay in getting the Planning Commission approval and the funds, the ministry has suspended the plans for developing the sixth national inland waterway.
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It has been declared as an Indian National Waterway and is currently under development. It connects the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, and the Union Territory
Union Territory
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
of Pondicherry. The NW-4 runs along the Coromandal Coast through Kakinada
Kakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
, Eluru
Eluru
Eluru is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of West Godavari district and has a population of 5,15,343 approximately. Eluru is situated on the national highway NH 5 connecting Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and about east of state...
, Commanur, Buckingham
Buckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
Canals and also through part of Krishna
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
and Godavari
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
rivers in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It was declared a National Waterway on 24 November 2008 under the Provisions of National Waterways Bill, 2006. It is being developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India
Inland Waterways Authority of India
India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5200 km of river and 4000 km of canals can be used by mechanised crafts...
(IWAI), and is scheduled for completion in 2013.
History
National waterways in India
In India, the national waterways are developed by the central governmentGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
through the Inland Waterways Authority of India
Inland Waterways Authority of India
India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5200 km of river and 4000 km of canals can be used by mechanised crafts...
(IWAI) - the regulatory body for the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) sector. IWAI was set up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act in 1985 and given responsibility of development, maintenance, and regulation of national waterways in the country. It is a statutory autonomous body for regulating and developing navigation and shipping in the inland waterways. Along with IWAI, Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) also supports the IWT sector through transportation of cargo via inland waterways and the operation and maintenance of the vessels and waterway terminals. The first national waterways established in India were the NW-1,2 & 3 (est. in mid 1980s & 1993). They have a combined length of 2716 kilometres (1,687.6 mi).
Development of NW-4, 5 & 6
As early as 1993-95, IWAI commenced studies for developing an integrated canal linking Kakinada and Chennai. The Indian government initiated the process for developing three more national waterways in 2005. In July 2006, T. R. Baalu, the Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways announced the proposal for development of NW-4 in the Lok SabhaLok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
. In addition to the three existing national waterways, the government also declared the following inland waterways as national waterways:
|
- KakinadaKakinadaKakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
-Pondicherry canals along with Godavari and KrishnaKrishna RiverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
rivers (1095 kilometres (680.4 mi)) as NW-4 - East Coast Canal along with Brahmani riverBrahmani RiverThe Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Orissa state of Eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers, and flows through the districts of Sundargarh, Kendujhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Jajapur...
and Mahanadi deltaMahanadi River DeltaMahanadi River Delta in India is a basin of deposit that drains a large land mass of the Indian subcontinent into the Bay of Bengal. The alluvial valley is wide and relatively flat with a meandering river channel that changes its course....
(623 kilometres (387.1 mi)) as NW-5 - River Barak (152 kilometres (94.4 mi)) as NW-6
The proposals were made into law with the passage of the Inland Vessels (Amendment) Bill, 2005
The Inland Vessels (Amendment) Bill, 2005
The Inland Vessels Bill, 2005 is a bill passed on India parliament on 30 August 2007 to facilitate the extension and usage of inland waterways by vessels. The bill was an amendment to an original Act passed in 1917....
in 2007. In October 2008, another bill - the National waterways Bill, 2006 - was passed in Parliament. It declared the Kakinada
Kakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
-Pondicherry stretch of canals comprising the Kakinada canal, Eluru
Eluru
Eluru is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of West Godavari district and has a population of 5,15,343 approximately. Eluru is situated on the national highway NH 5 connecting Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and about east of state...
canal, Commamur canal, Buckingham canal
Buckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
, the Kaluvelly tank
Kaliveli Lake
Kaliveli Lake is a coastal lake in the Viluppuram District of Tamil Nadu, India. This lake lies approximately 16 kilometers north of Pondicherry and 10 kilometers north of Auroville, near the Bay of Bengal....
, Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
- Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
stretch of rivers Godavari, Wazirabad-Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
stretch of river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, TamilNadu, and Pondicherry as national waterways. According to this bill, it will take five years and 542 crores (5.42 Billion) (in 2002 prices) for the completion of the proposed new national waterways.
Course
The National Waterway NW-4 comprises nearly 690 kilometres (428.7 mi) of canalCanal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
and 328 kilometres (203.8 mi) of river sections. In turn, the river section of the NW-4 comprises two major sections - a) " Godavari river section
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
" and b) " Krishna river section
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
" (after the two main rivers of the state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
). The Godavari River section stretches from Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
to Dowleiswaram, Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
. The Krishna River section stretches from Wazirabad Nalgonda district
Nalgonda district
Nalgonda / Nallagonda District is a district in Andhra Pradesh. It has a population of 3,483,648 of which 13.32% is urban as of 2001.-Etymology:Its name is derived from two Telugu words Nalla & Konda i.e...
to Prakasam Barrage, Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
.
The canal section of NW-4 is formed by a combination of the Kakinada canal, the Eluru
Eluru
Eluru is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of West Godavari district and has a population of 5,15,343 approximately. Eluru is situated on the national highway NH 5 connecting Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and about east of state...
canal, Commamur canal, and the Buckingham canal
Buckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
. The Kakinada canal runs between Kakinada
Kakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
and Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
for a length of 50 kilometres (31.1 mi). Starting from Dowleiswaram on the left bank of the river Godavari through a head sluice and lock to Kakinada (approx. 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) downstream from Kakinada Port). The canal gets its water from the Godavari through the Dowleiswaram barrage
Dowleswaram Barrage
The Dowleswaram Barrage is an irrigation structure which is built on the last stretch of the Godavari River before it empties into the Bay of Bengal. It was built by a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton. His projects averted famines and stimulated the economy of southern...
and thereafter connects Kakinada anchorage port. It connects the Godavari river section from Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
to Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
. The Eluru canal comprises two distinct irrigation-cum – navigation canals, namely the Krishna Eluru canal of the eastern Krishna delta and the Godavari Eluru canal of western Godavari delta. It runs between Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
to Vijjeswaram lock at Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton Barrage
Dowleswaram Barrage
The Dowleswaram Barrage is an irrigation structure which is built on the last stretch of the Godavari River before it empties into the Bay of Bengal. It was built by a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton. His projects averted famines and stimulated the economy of southern...
for a total distance of 139 kilometres (86.4 mi). The Krishna Eluru canal takes off from the river section on the left bank of Krishna river on the upstream of Prakasam barrage through a head sluice at Vijayawada and meets Godavari Eluru canal at east Tammileru
Tammileru
Tammileru is a small river which bisects Krishna district and West Godavari district, Andra Pradesh, India....
lock at Eluru
Eluru
Eluru is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of West Godavari district and has a population of 5,15,343 approximately. Eluru is situated on the national highway NH 5 connecting Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and about east of state...
.The Godavari Eluru canal takes off from the River section of river Godavari at Vijjeswaram (16°56′2"N 81°43′27"E) in Rajahmundry on the upstream of Dowleiswaram anicut through a head sluice and joins Krishna Eluru canal at East Tammileru
Tammileru
Tammileru is a small river which bisects Krishna district and West Godavari district, Andra Pradesh, India....
lock. The Commamur canal runs between Vijayawada Seethanagaram lock and Peddaganjam lock for a total length of 113 kilometres (70.2 mi) It takes off from the Krishna River section in river Krishna in Vijayawada on the right side upstream off Prakasam barrage through a head sluice at Seethanagaram
Seethanagaram
Seetha-nagaram or Sitha-nagaram is a village and a Mandal in Vizianagaram district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.-Geography:Sithanagaram is located at . It has an average elevation of 95 meters .-Demography:...
and joins the Buckingham canal at Peddaganjam Lock near Ongole. The Buckingham canal
Buckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
is a tidal canal stretching from Peddaganjam lock to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and further down south up to Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
. The stretch of the canal from Peddaganjam lock to Chennai for a length of 316 kilometres (196.4 mi) is called "North Buckingham canal" and the canal path from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
to Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
for a total length of 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) is called "South Buckingham canal". It was constructed during the 19th century along the Coromandal Coast. Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
is connected to the Sea (Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
) at Pondicherry by the Kalluvelly tank
Kaliveli Lake
Kaliveli Lake is a coastal lake in the Viluppuram District of Tamil Nadu, India. This lake lies approximately 16 kilometers north of Pondicherry and 10 kilometers north of Auroville, near the Bay of Bengal....
.
The lengths of the NW-4 in the three states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, and the union-territory of Pondicherry are as follows::
| S.No | State | Description of Canals & Rivers | Total Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh (AP) | |||
| Tamil Nadu (TN) | |||
| Pondicherry |
Geographical boundaries
| Boundary | Description |
|---|---|
| Northern | A perpendicular line drawn across the Kakinada canal to Jaganadhapuram road bridge located at Kakinada at a distance of 500 meters down stream at 16.941098°N 82.242576°E. |
| Southern | Junction of East coast highway and Chinnakalwari-Kanagachettikulam road at Kanagachettikulam which is the end point of artificial canal link to Kaluvelly tank located at 12.080047°N 79.83696°E. |
| Western (River Godavari) | Road bridge at Bhadrachalam across Godavari river at 17.678354°N 80.880423°E. |
| Western (River Krishna) | Road bridge at Wazirabad across Krishna river at 16.682252°N 79.657309°E. |
| Eastern (River Godavari) | Dowleswaram Barrage (Sir Arthur Cotton barrage) across river Godavari at Dowleswaram, Rajahmundry at 16.936301°N 81.760383°E |
| Eastern (River Krishna) | Prakasam barrage across river Godavari at Vijayawada at 16.50665°N 80.605291 °E |
Development
The concept of National Waterways was introduced in 1982 to promote the development of inland water transport in the country. At present, out of six declared National Waterways, developmental works are being carried out on NW-1, 2, and 3 only by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)Inland Waterways Authority of India
India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5200 km of river and 4000 km of canals can be used by mechanised crafts...
. The first three National Waterways (NW-1, 2 & 3) are being developed for shipping and navigation by providing basic inland transport infrastructural facilities, including navigational channel with required depth and width, aids for day and night navigation, and terminals at selected locations for berthing and loading/unloading of vessels.
In NW-1 & 2, IWAI undertakes river conservatory works to provide navigational channel of 3 metres (9.8 ft), 2 metres (6.6 ft), and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) depth in different stretches during the low water period. In NW–3, IWAI is carrying out dredging to provide a navigational depth and width of 2 metres (6.6 ft) and 32 metres (105 ft), respectively. Development works are being carried out with the objective of making all three National waterways fully operational with cargo and other inland vessels by March 2012.
For National Waterways 4 and 5, IWAI initiated the proposals for development in July 2010. Techno-economic studies for establishment of National Waterways NW-4 was done by Water And Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), a subsidiary of Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Water Resources (India)
The Ministry of Water Resources, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to the development and regulation of the water resources in India. At present, head of the ministry is the Cabinet Minister Pawan...
The completion period for NW-4 was estimated at seven years by Detailed Project Report prepared by WAPCOS, which is contrary to that of 2002 estimates which indicated five tears as completion period. 1707 Hectares of land are required for NW-4 construction; 300 Ha, 1380 Ha, and 27 Ha land has to be acquired in the states of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, and Pondicherry respectively.
Participation of Government Agencies, Public & Private Sector Entreprises in IWT / NW development
| Vessels / Terminals | Construction, Operation & Maintenance | Government Agencies | Public Sector Enterprises | Private Sector Enterprises |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructing of waterway | ||||
| Maintenance of Waterway | ||||
| Navigational Support | ||||
| Vessel Manufacturing | ||||
| Vessel ownership | ||||
| Vessel maintenance/repair | ||||
| Vessel Operation | ||||
| Terminal construction | ||||
| Terminal operation |
IWAI - Inland Water Transport Authority;
CIWTC - Central Inland Water Transport Corporation;
KSINCL- Kerala State Inland Navigation Company Limited.
Traffic
A. F. FergusonA. F. Ferguson & Co.
A. F. Ferguson & Co. is the largest firm of professional accountants in Pakistan, operating in three metropolitan cities viz. Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The firm also has an office in Kabul, Afghanistan...
was appointed by WAPCOS for conducting traffic studies for proposed waterway in 2005-06.
Current traffic
There is no significant traffic in the waterway except for movement of country boats which carry local produce. The main reason for lack of IWT movement is the absence of other infrastructure facilities and coordinated effort for improvements.Potential traffic
NW-4 has been divided into four major cargo belts, namely KakinadaKakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
belt, Krishna
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
belt, South Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
belt, and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
belt. Based on the survey conducted by WAPCOS, the 11 million tonnes of cargo is expected to be transported through NW-4 every year. Types of cargo include coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, foodgrains
Food grain
thumb|150px|Barleythumb|150px|LentilGrains are small, hard, dry seeds harvested for human food or animal feed Agronomists also call the plants producing such seeds grains or grain crops....
, cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
, fertilisers, forest products, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, and other bulk cargo
Bulk cargo
Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities. This cargo is usually dropped or poured, with a spout or shovel bucket, as a liquid or as a mass of relatively small solids , into a bulk carrier ship's hold, railroad car, or tanker truck/trailer/semi-trailer body...
. The Godavari river system flows through the Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
forests and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits. The Krishna River
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
flows through limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
deposits and cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
industries at Jaggayyapeta
Jaggayyapeta
Jaggaiahpeta is an ancient town and now a municipality in Krishna district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. This town is located on the banks of a river called Paleru which is a tributary of the Krishna River.- Demographics :...
.
Krishna river (Wazirabad – Vijayawada)
GunturGuntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
has abundant resources of limestone which are of use in cement and steel industries. Main consumers of limestone are nearby situated cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
industries like ACC
Associated Cement Companies
ACC Limited is the largest producer of cement in India based in Mumbai. It's registered office is called Cement House. It is located on Maharishi Karve Road, Mumbai. The stock price of company contributes in calculating BSE Sensex.The management control of company was taken over by Swiss cement...
, Andhra Cement, Parthasarathy Cements & Industries Ltd and Gauthami Cements as well as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
Godavari River (Bhadrachalam - Rajahmundry )
The coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
is a substantially available commodity in this stretch due to its nearness to Singareni Collieries (SCCL) mines. Coal fields are located in Kothagudem
Kothagudem
Kothagudem is an industrial town in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, about 270 km from Hyderabad. It is also known as the coal town of South India. Kothagudem and palvancha are the twin industrial towns in the state. Kothagudem is located at . It has an average elevation of...
, Manuguru
Manuguru
MANUGURU or MANUGUR is a census town and mandal in Khammam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comes under Mahaboobabad parliamentary constituency and Pinapaka Assembly constituency. Manuguru is an urban area, situated on the banks of Godavari River.-Demographics: India census,...
and Yellandu. Rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
has a huge traffic potential in this downstream route up to Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
. In the upstream direction, traffic potential will be gained by transportation of forest products, wood pulp
Wood pulp
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
to Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam
Bhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
where major paper mills like ITC Bhadrachalam and Andhra Pradesh paper mills (APPML) are located. Apart from this, many small paper mills are located in the East and West Godavari districts.
Kakinada Canal
Main cargo to be transported in downstream direction from kakinadaKakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
to rajahmundry
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry is a city and municipal corporation of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad, on the banks of the River Godavari. Known as the Cultural Capital, Rajahmundry is noted for its intense Veda culture and intellect...
are coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and rock Phosphate. In the upstream direction, rice bran extractions, cement clinker
Clinker (cement)
thumb|200px|right|Typical clinker nodulesthumb|200px|right|Hot clinkerIn the manufacture of Portland cement, clinker is lumps or nodules, usually 3-25 mm in diameter, produced by sintering limestone and alumino-silicate during the cement kiln stage.-Uses:...
and fertilizers will be the main cargos for transportation.
Eluru Canal
Rice and other food grains, rice bran extractions, coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
and other general cargo are the substantive commodities which can boost the IWT in this stretch.
Commanur Canal
The stretch from VijayawadaVijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
to Peddaganjam (Ongole) is a vital trade link connecting Kakinada belt with south A.P
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. The major towns in the vicinity capable of promoting IWT are Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
, Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
and Ongole. Main traffic in the downward direction are rice and food grains. Forest products will form traffic in the upstream direction.
North Buckingham Canal
The canal can form significant traffic because of salt pans located all along the canal stretch. Rice, food grains, fertilizers, chillies, tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and vegetables in the downstream direction from Peddaganjam to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. In the upstream direction from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
to Peddaganjam, the main traffic consists of fertilizers from Madras Fertilisers (MFL) plant located at Ennore
Ennore
Ennore is a suburb in Chennai, India. Ennore is situated on a peninsula and is bounded by the Korttalaiyar River, Ennore creek and the Bay of Bengal...
and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
South Buckingham Canal & Kaluvelly Tank
The canal stretch from Basin bridgeBasin Bridge
Basin Bridge is the confluence of the Otteri Nullah and Buckingham Canal in Chennai, India. The Madras Boating Club operates rowing events in this place....
up to Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
can constitute significant traffic of salt and marine products because of salt pans
Dry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
and aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
shrimp farms all along the route. In the upstream direction from Pondicherry via Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, the main traffic consists of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, fertilizers and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
from Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
, Villupuram & Pondicherry.
NW-4 as Natural Barrier
The stretch of Buckingham CanalBuckingham Canal
The Buckingham Canal is a long fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of the natural backwaters along the coast to the port of Chennai...
saved thousands of lives in the states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and Tamilnadu along the coromandal coast from December 26 tsunami waves. Dr. B. Ramalingeswara Rao of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)
National Geophysical Research Institute
The National Geophysical Research Institute is a premier geoscientific research organization established under CSIR India in Uppal road, Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh, India in 1961...
, Hyderabad reports that the Buckingham Canal acted as a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
and regulated the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
waves on the coastal region over 310 kilometres (192.6 mi) from Pedda Ganjam to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. The tsunami waves drifted away towards the existing low-lying creeks
Creek (tidal)
A tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...
at several places.
The canal from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(Marakkanam
Marakkanam
Marakkanam is a Coastal panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is well connected to the State Capital Chennai & nearby State Pondicherry by East Coast Road...
) to Durga Raya Patnam near Nellore
Nellore
Nellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
and then to Pedda Ganjam, all along the east coast was filled with tsunami water, which overflowed at a few places and receded back to sea within 10–15 min. This saved the lives of several fishermen, especially in coastal AP and parts of Chennai city.
Cost
The cost for developing a waterway in India is approximately INRIndian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
0.5 Crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
per km, whereas developing a railway or roadway costs around INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
4-6 crore per km. As per estimates drawn by consultants M/s RITES, the project will cost INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
542 crore (as per 2002 prices) and facilitate movement of 100 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
vessels in the irrigation canal portion and 350 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
in the rivers and Buckingham canal portion.
The developmental works for NW-4 involve the widening of canal, dredging, excavation, bank protection, construction and repair of locks, modification of bridges and roads, navigational aids, and setting up of IWT terminals.
The cost estimated by WAPCOS is around 1515 Crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
, which involves two phase development of the project. Phase one of the project envisages development of a stretch comprising Godavari and Krishna rivers, and Kakinada and Eluru canals, which has maximum cargo potential, at an estimated cost of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
390 Crore and land acquisition for remaining stretch at an estimated cost of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
219 crore. Phase two of the project involves development of North and South Buckingham Canal, Commamur canal, and Kaluvelly Tank at an estimated cost of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
906 crore
In the Tenth Five-Year Plan, Planning Commission has increased the budgetary provision for the development of inland water transport infrastructure to INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
636.73 crores, against INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
150.00 crores in the Ninth Five-Year Plan.
For the year 2009-2010, the government has released the following funds through Ministry of Shipping for development of IWT.
- INRIndian rupeeThe Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
62.68 Crores as a grant to IWAI for development and maintenance of National Waterways (NW 1,2,3,4 & 5).And also for undertaking projects related to IWT promotion ,training, IT activities etc. - INRIndian rupeeThe Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
1 Crore has been released for Technical Studies and R&D activities. - INRIndian rupeeThe Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
1 Crore has been released for Inland Vessel Building Subsidy Scheme. - INRIndian rupeeThe Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
1 Crore has been released for Central Sector Schemes for IWT Development in North Eastern Region.
Delay in the project
Common factors attributable for delay in development of IWT are lack of infrastructure, absence of fixed scheduled services, poor navigational aids, lack of connectivity, longer river distances, multiple handling, and limited flow of private investments.The Eleventh Five-Year Plan envisaged development of six national inland waterways. Although the government demarcated five such National Waterways, the shipping ministry is unable to start the work on developing two of them (NW-4 & NW-5), as Planning Commission has not approved the development plans until now. Ministry of Shipping awaits the sum of INR
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
500 Crores that it needs to carry out the development works.
As a result of the delay in getting the Planning Commission approval and the funds, the ministry has suspended the plans for developing the sixth national inland waterway.
See also
- National Waterways 3National Waterway 3 (India)The West Coast Canal or National Waterway No 3 is located in Kerala, India and runs from Kollam to Kottapuram and was declared a National Waterway in 1993.The dredging of this canal has been finished. The National waterway 3 is one of the most navigable and tourism potential area in India and has...
- Inland Waterways Authority of IndiaInland Waterways Authority of IndiaIndia has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5200 km of river and 4000 km of canals can be used by mechanised crafts...
- Inland waterways of IndiaInland waterways of IndiaIndia has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways, which consists of the Ganges–Bhagirathi–Hooghly rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai and the deltaic regions of the Godavari - Krishna rivers...
- National Waterways Bill