KCCI seeks measures for development of inland waterway from Bantwal to Markada Bridge

The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has appealed to the Director of Ports and Inland Water Transport to initiate measures for the development of the inland waterway from Bantwal to Markada Bridge in Dakshina Kannada - National Waterway 74 and National Waterway 43.

Even though India’s Inland Waterways Authority has identified the Netravati River as National Waterway 74 and Gurupur River as National Waterway 43, there has not been any budgetary allocation for implementing it, KCCI president Isaac Vas said in a letter to the Director of Ports and Inland Water Transport.

The number of sailing vessels and yachts that used to visit the Old Port for business and other travel has significantly reduced. One of the reasons is that the inland waterways on both Nethravathi and Gurupur rivers no longer exist. There is no feeder cargo generated from the industrial hinterland due to the lack of efficient waterways. The Old Port and its inland waterways are all connected. These waterways must be developed and connected to different ports like Goa, Lakshadweep, Mumbai, Kochi, and Karwar port to spur economic activities, he added.

Isaac Vas said the inland water connection needs to start from the interior of the Netravati River from Thumbe and can come down towards the Old Port. It should proceed towards the Maravoor Bridge in the shape of a hockey stick connecting the Old Port and the Mangalore International Airport. If the entire area is connected, it will form a critical link and a catalyst for economic development all along the riverbank, he said.
The port department may lease out one acre each of land to entrepreneurs for boat and yacht building activities thereby helping Mangaluru to reclaim its old glory in boat building. There also exist many opportunities in ship repair activities. If a good draft of about 4 to 4.5m (below chart datum) is provided in the river channel vessels, up to 100m length can be easily taken alongside for repairs.
He also suggested a direct dredged access to the sea where presently, Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Ltd is located by providing a floating bridge across the sand bar for regular vehicular traffic movement.

The sea access has to be turned into a dry dock on the BDIL side, resulting in connected economic benefits of the ship repair and servicing industry. The area between Kulur bridge and Malavoor dam on the Phalguni is suitable for fish farming which in turn will provide employment.

Seven floating restaurants are not able to operate further into the river because of the lack of waterways, he said and added that the proposed waterway should develop tourism along with generating employment. If riverbanks were developed to load and unload goods, transportation will become easy. The riverfront improvement can also be taken up through developing waterways, he added.