Kochi : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said the Kollam - Kottappuram Waterway would be commissioned by December 2012.
Though the work had started long back and expected to be commissioned in 2005, it was prolonged due to certain issues with the fishermen, he said while laying foundation stone for the Indian Maritime University Cochin Main Campus here.
However, the government found solution to their problems to a great extent and it was expected that the waterway would open for cargo movement by December 2012, he said.
Mr Chandy stressed on the need for encouraging and developing more waterways in the state for cheaper cargo movement in the wake of frequent hike of petroleum products' prices.
Regarding the proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam-Kottappuram-Neeleswaram Waterways, the Centre had earmarked a sum of Rs 225 crore, he pointed out.
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News Archives in June 2006
`Kollam-Kottapuram waterway by June 2007' V.S
Kovalam-Nileswaram waterway inaugurated
KOLLAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the Kollam to Kottapuram National Waterway-111 would be commissioned in June 2007.
Inaugurating the State-level launch of the Kovalam-Nileswaram Smart Waterway here on Saturday, Mr. Achuthanandan said the 590-km waterway would become fully operational by 2010. The National Waterway-111 is part of the Smart Waterway.
He said the opening of the waterway would be a major step towards development of the State. The Twelfth Finance Commission had allocated Rs.225 crore for revival of the waterway. Care would be taken to ensure that the funds do not lapse.
The Chief Minister, along with Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran and Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran, undertook a two-hour cruise along the National Waterway-111 from Kollam to Alumkadavu for an on-the-spot inspection of the condition of the waterway. Talking to presspersons after the cruise, the Chief Minister said there were some hurdles in developing the waterway to meet National Waterway standards. The main hurdles related to the livelihood aspects of people living on the banks. Increasing the width of the Travancore State Canal portion of the National Waterway would require rehabilitating those who had encroached upon the banks of the canal. This would be done within two months after talks with the people concerned and representatives of the people, he said.
With regard to the Kottapuram-Nileswaram portion of the Smart Waterway, new canals for at least 40 km north of Vadakara will have to be created. Inland Water Authority of India vice-chairman Sushil Kumar was present.
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