Draft regional plan proposes ferry and cargo services in Yamuna river by 2025
New Delhi: The National Capital Region Planning Board in its 'Draft Regional Plan 2041' has proposed to start ferry and cargo services in the Yamuna river in Delhi by 2025 to promote inland waterways and create an alternate congestion free transport facility in the city. The draft plan also recommended to decongest all major entry points to the national capital from NCR towns.
The Draft Regional Plan 2041' was put in public domain on Thursday and suggestions or objections have been invited until January 7 and it will be notified by the board thereafter.
The NCRPB had given in-principle approval to the 'Draft Regional Plan 2041' in its meeting on October 12 this year.
"Implementation of passenger and cargo ferry service on Inland National Waterway (NW)-110 (Yamuna River) should be expedited and made fully operational by preferably 2025. Possibilities of ferry service in the river Yamuna between Wazirabad and Sonia Vihar may be looked in to and project be implemented suitably, the Draft Regional Plan 2041 said. It also said there is a need to maintain minimum water levels in rivers and canals of NCR to enable round-the-year boating, navigation and its potential further use.
Possibilities should be explored to develop passenger and bulk cargo (especially of non-perishables) ferry service on major canal network in NCR like Agra Canal, Upper Ganga Canal, Western Yamuna Canal, etc, the draft plan said.
It said NCR states should jointly develop networks of greens and blues (waterways) in the region on the lines of Singapore and Shanghai.
States may identify water transport crossover points across Yamuna river and develop road linkages to existing networks, it said. The draft report says 57 per cent of the total areas of the region will be urbanised by 2031 and 67 per cent by 2041 so there is a need to create adequate peripheral roads to avoid congestion and reduce pollution in the region.
The plan also recommended construction of two more regional expressways in addition to the Eastern and Western Peripheral expressways.
Circular regional expressway connecting Panipat-Shamli-Meerut-Jewar-Nuh-Bhiwadi-Rewari-Jhajjar-Rohtak-Panipat and (another) Circular regional expressway connecting Karnal- Muzaffarnagar Garh Mukteshwar Naraura Aligarh Mathura Deeg Alwar Mahendragarh Charkhi Dadri-Bhiwani-Jind- Kaithal-Karnal should be developed for balanced development of NCR based facilities, the draft plan said. The draft plan puts special impetus on development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities across NCR.
