The government is developing waterways to ease the traffic on road, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. The country has registered an increase of 10 to 12 per cent in the number of vehicles per annum, the minister said, after laying the foundation of 72-km long Mahulia-Baharagora National highway, built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
The function was held in the copper township of Moubhandar, 40 km from Jamshedpur, under Ghatsila sub-division of East Singhbhum district. The Centre had plans to expand the water network as the country was utilising only 3.5 per cent of waterways compared to China’s 47 per cent and South Korea and Japan’s 43 and 44 per cent, respectively, he said.
The minister said five waterways would be developed on Ganga, Bramhaputra, Mahanadi, backwater of Kerala while two multi-model water ports would be established on Ganga in Sahebgunj of Jharkhand and Varanasi (UP). The port in Sahebgunj would be developed at Rs 500 crore, he said announcing that the government would pour in Rs 50,000 crore on various road projects, including highways and ports by December. “We will release the fund for the purpose as soon as the state government submits its Detailed Project Report of the proposed projects,” he said.
Regarding the highway projects, Gadkari said the government has earmarked 95 lakh tonnes of cement for the purpose.