Major highways in Indian road network.

India has a road network of over 5,603,293 kilometers (3,481,725 mi) as on 31 March 2016, the second
largest road network in the world.[1]At 1.70 km of roads per square kilometer of land, the quantitative
density of India's road network is higher than that of Japan (0.91) and the United States (0.67), and far
higher than that of China (0.46), Brazil (0.18) or Russia (0.08).[1] Adjusted for its large population, India
has approximately 4.63 km of roads per 1000 people. However, qualitatively India's roads are a mix of
modern highways and narrow, unpaved roads, and are being improved.[2] As on 31 March 2016, 62.5%
of Indian roads were paved.[1]
India in its past did not allocate enough resources to build or maintain its road network.[2] This has
changed since 1995, with major efforts currently underway to modernize the country's road
infrastructure.[3] The length of national highways in India has increased from 70,934 km in 2010-11 to
101,011 km in 2015-16.[1]
As of May 2017, India had completed and placed in use over 28,900 kilometers of recently built 4 or 6-
lane highways connecting many of its major manufacturing centers, commercial and cultural
centers.[4] According to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as of March 2016, India had about
1,01,011 kilometers of national highways and expressways, plus another 1,76,166 kilometers of state
highways.[1] Major projects are being implemented under the National Highways Development Project, a
government initiative. Private builders and highway operators are also implementing major projects -
for example, the Yamuna Expressway between Delhi and Agra was completed ahead of schedule and
within budget,[5] while the KMP Expressway started in 2006 is far behind schedule, over budget and
incomplete.[6]
According to 2009 estimates by Goldman Sachs, India will need to invest US$1.7 trillion on
infrastructure projects before 2020 to meet its economic needs, a part of which would be in upgrading
India's road network.[7] The investment in national highways increased from ₹14,095.87
crore (US$2.1 billion) in 2005-06 to ₹98,988.06 crore (US$15 billion) in 2015-16[1] During the same
period the total investment in national highways was ₹476,589.37 crore (US$71 billion).
The Government of India is attempting to promote foreign investment in road projects.[7][8][9] Foreign
participation in Indian road network construction has attracted 45 international contractors and 40
design/engineering consultants, with Malaysia, South Korea, United Kingdom and United Statesbeing
the largest players.[10]
Rail transport is an important mode of transport in India.
All main-line rail operations in India are handled by Indian Railways (IR), a state-owned organization
of the Ministry of Railways. As of March 2017, the rail network comprises 121,407 km (75,439 mi) of
track[5] over a route of 67,368 km (41,861 mi) and 7,216 stations.[1]It is the fourth-largest railway
network in the world (after those of the United States, Russia and China).[6] Thirty eight percent of the
routes are electrified with 25 KV AC electric traction while thirty-three percent of them are double or
multi-tracked.[1]
It is one of the busiest networks in the world, transporting 8.107 billion passengers and over 1.108
billion tonnes of freight annually, as of 2016.[1] Indian Railways is the world's eighth largest employer,
with more than 1.308 million employees as of March 2017.[1] As of March 2017, IR's rolling
stock consisted of 277,987 freight wagons, 70,937 passenger coaches and 11,452 locomotives.[1] IR
owns locomotive and coach-production facilities at several locations in India.
The urban rail transit systems across the country are operated independently of Indian Railways.
There are currently 11 operational rapid transit (also called 'metro') systems in ten cities in India. As
of November 2017, India has 425 kilometres (264 miles) of operational metro lines and 347 stations.
A further 500+ km of lines are under construction.
tramway network at a cost of ₹240 million (US$3.6 million).[136]

Air[edit]
Main article: Aviation in India

Air India, the flag carrier of India

Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the national regulatory body for the aviation industry. It is
controlled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The ministry also controls aviation related autonomous
organisations like the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS), Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy and Public Sector Undertakings including Air
India, Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.[137]
Air India is India's national flag carrier after merging with Indian (airline) in 2011[138] and plays a major
role in connecting India with the rest of the world.[139] IndiGo, Jet Airways, Air
India, Spicejet and GoAir are the major carriers in order of their market share.[140] These airlines
connect more than 80 cities across India and also operate overseas routes after the liberalisation of
Indian aviation. Several other foreign airlines connect Indian cities with other major cities across the
globe. However, a large section of country's air transport potential remains untapped, even though
the Mumbai-Delhi air corridor was ranked 10th by Amadeus in 2012 among the world's busiest
routes.[141][142]
Airports[edit]

The Departures section of Mumbai Airport.

An Emirates 777-200LR lands at Kempegowda International Airport

Main article: List of airports in India

While there are 346[143] civilian airfields in India – 253 with paved runways and 93 with unpaved
runways, only 132 were classified as "airports" as of November 2014.[144] Of these, Indira Gandhi
International Airport in Delhi is the busiest in the country.[145][146][147] The operations of the major
airports in India have been privatised over the past 5 years and this has resulted in better equipped
and cleaner airports. The terminals have either been refurbished or expanded.
India also has 33 "ghost airports," which were built in an effort to make air travel more accessible for
those in remote regions but are now non-operational due to a lack of demand. The Jaisalmer
Airport in Rajasthan, for example, was completed in 2013 and was expected to host 300,000
passengers a year but has yet to see any commercial flights take off. Despite the number of non-
operational airports, India is currently planning on constructing another 200 "low-cost" airports over
the next 20 years.[148]

Airports Airports
Length of runways with paved with unpaved
runways[143] runways[143]

3,047 m (10,000 ft) or more 21 1

2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft) 59 3

1,524 to 2,438 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft) 76 6

914 to 1,524 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft) 82 38

Under 914 m (3,000 ft) 14 45

Total 253 93
Heliports[edit]

Aerospatiale SA 365N Dauphin 2, Pawan Hans Helicopter

As of 2013, there are 45 heliports in India.[143] India also has the world's highest helipad at
the Siachen Glacier at a height of 6400 m (21,000 ft) above mean sea level.[149]
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a public sector company that provides helicopter services
to ONGC to its off-shore locations, and also to various State Governments in India, particularly
in North-east India.[150]
.
(21,000 ft) above mean sea level.[149]
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a public sector company that provides helicopter services
to ONGC to its off-shore locations, and also to various State Governments in India, particularly
in North-east India.[150]

Water[edit]
Main article: Water transport in India

India has a coastline of 7,517 km (4,671 mi),[151] and thus ports are the main centres of trade.
India also has an extensive network of inland waterways.

Ports and shipping[edit]

In India about 95% of the foreign trade by quantity and 70% by value takes place through the
ports.[153] Mumbai Port & JNPT(Navi Mumbai) handles 70% of maritime trade in India.[154] There are
twelve major ports: Navi
Mumbai, Mumbai, Kochi, Kolkata (including Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Ennore, Chennai, Tuti
corin, New Mangaluru, Mormugao and Kandla.[155] Other than these, there are 187 minor and
intermediate ports, 43 of which handle cargo.[155]
Maritime transportation in India is managed by the Shipping Corporation of India, a government-
owned company that also manages offshore and other marine transport infrastructure in the country.
It owns and operates about 35% of Indian tonnage and operates in practically all areas of shipping
business servicing both national and international trades.The only state which carries three ports in
India is Tamil Nadu, they are Ennore, Chennai and Tuticorin.[156]
It has a fleet of 79 ships of 2750,000 GT (4.8 million DWT) and also manages 53 research, survey
and support vessels of 120,000 GT (060,000 DWT) on behalf of various government departments
and other organisations.[157] Personnel are trained at the Maritime Training Institute in Mumbai, a
branch of the World Maritime University, which was set up in 1987.[158] The Corporation also operates
in Malta and Iran through joint ventures.[157]
The distinction between major and minor ports is not based on the amount of cargo handled. The
major ports are managed by port trusts which are regulated by the central government.[159] They
come under the purview of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.[160][citation needed] The minor ports are
regulated by the respective state governments and many of these ports are private ports or captive
ports.[160][citation needed]The total amount of traffic handled at the major ports in 2005–2006 was
382.33 Mt.[155]
Waterways[edit]
Boats sailing on National Waterway 2 at Guwahati

India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of

rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi),
out of which about 5,200 km (3,231 mi) of river and 485 km (301 mi) of canals can be used by
mechanised crafts.[161]Freight transport by waterways is highly underutilised in India compared to
other large countries. The total cargo moved by inland waterways is just 0.15% of the total inland
traffic in India, compared to the corresponding figures of 20% for Germany and 32% for
Bangladesh.[162]
Cargo that is transported in an organised manner is confined to a few waterways in Goa, West
Bengal, Assam and Kerala.[citation needed] The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory
authority in charge of the waterways in India. It does the function of building the necessary
infrastructure in these waterways, surveying the economic feasibility of new projects and also
administration and regulation.[citation needed] The following waterways have been declared as National
Waterways:

 National Waterway 1: Allahabad–Haldia stretch of the Ganga – Bhagirathi – Hooghly

River system with a total length of 1,620 kilometres (1,010 mi) in October 1986.[163]
 National Waterway 2: Saidiya–Dhubri stretch of the Brahmaputra river system with a total length
of 891 kilometres (554 mi) in 1988.[163]
 National Waterway 3: Kollam–Kottapuram stretch of the West Coast Canal along with
Champakara and Udyogmandal canals, with a total length of 205 kilometres (127 mi) in 1993.[163]
 National Waterway 4: Bhadrachalam–Rajahmundry and Wazirabad–Vijaywada stretch of
the Krishna–Godavari river system along with the Kakinada–Pondicherry canal network, with a
total length of 1,095 km (680 mi) in 2007.[164][165]
 National Waterway 5: Mangalgadi–Paradeep and Talcher–Dhamara stretch of the Mahanadi–
Brahmani river system along with the East Coast Canal, with a total length of 623 km (387 mi) in
2007.[164][165]
Improve air

Delhi – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for government and industry to join
forces on a series of projects to enhance safety, security and efficiency in India. These would align
with IATA’s longstanding calls for improved infrastructure, cost reduction and a relief from excessive
taxation.
“I propose a series of projects to enhance the safety, security and efficiency of Indian aviation. The
interests of government and industry are aligned. Aviation and aviation-related tourism drives 1.5%
of India’s GDP and supports jobs for 1.8% of the workforce. A stronger aviation sector will be a
catalyst for even wider economic benefits,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO, in his
keynote address at the inaugural India Aviation Day which IATA is jointly organizing with the GMR
Group and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
“This is my third major speech on Indian aviation issues in under a year. I have not spoken this
much in or about any other single country in my time at IATA. The reason is two-fold. The first is
that India is the great potential market of the future, and the industry here has only just begun to
realize its enormous promise. The second is that if we are to realize that future, we must
successfully overcome some major issues,” said Tyler.
IATA called for government and industry to work together in the following areas:
Safety
Safety is the industry’s number one priority. The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is a global
standard that is improving safety. In 2012, the all accidents safety performance of airlines on the
IOSA registry was 77% better than for those not on the registry. Moreover, there were no hull-losses
with Western-built jet aircraft in 2012 among the 384 airlines on the registry.
As India moves to evolve the DGCA into a Civil Aviation Authority in compliance with global
standards, Tyler urged India to take full advantage of the IOSA and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground
Operations (ISAGO).
“The establishment of the CAA is a step in the right direction. But we must recognize that there is
some way to go in terms of capacity building and skills set development. The industry can help. As
India turns a new page in its safety regulation, I urge the incoming CAA to consider incorporating the
900+ IOSA standards into India’s safety oversight framework for airlines. And ISAGO will be
valuable tool for enhancing safety on the ground,” said Tyler.
Security
Tyler urged India to be a strong player in Secure Freight and the Checkpoint of the Future. “It would
be great if India commits to be an early mover on these programs. But before that can happen, India
needs to address the non-standard advance passenger information (API) that it requires airlines to
transmit. Since, 2008, we have had promises that India will bring its non-standard requirements in
line with the standards that it helped to establish as a member of the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) Council. It is time to deliver the result,” said Tyler.
Tyler also called on India to review its ground handling policy. “Airlines are subject to discrimination
between how security functions are handled by domestic airlines versus international
carriers. Airlines are denied the right to self-handle. And there is deep policy confusion due to
different interpretations of the multiple government notifications and concessions awarded by
airports. It is time to take a fresh look at the whole issue,” said Tyler.
E-freight
Tyler urged India to urgently modernize cargo processes. The industry has set a target of 100%
conversion to the e-Air Waybill for cargo by 2015 as a step towards e-freight implementation.
“It is incredible that in this Internet age of instantaneous information, we are still using largely paper-
based processes to move cargo in India. It is even more incredible given India’s tremendous IT
experience and skills,” said Tyler.
India has ratified both the Montreal Convention 1999, which recognizes electronic invoicing, and the
Kyoto Convention 2005, which has recommendations for paperless e-Customs procedure. “While
India Customs has agreed in principle to creating a paperless environment, progress on moving to
proof of concept and implementation is slow. We need a show of political will to kick-start the
process. IATA is ready and willing to provide resources to move forward, but we need the
commitment of authorities at the highest level to support the implementation of e-freight,” said Tyler.
In addition, Tyler urged India to play a key role in moving the debate on managing aviation’s
emissions—specifically on market-based-measures—towards a global agreement through ICAO.
Tyler praised India for its leadership in the opposition to Europe’s intention to include international
aviation in its emissions trading scheme—and extra-territorial and unilateral action.
“Now India should follow up on the important role it played in steering Europe towards ICAO for a
global solution by being a strong leader among the BASIC countries with a genuine effort to make
the ICAO process work,” said Tyler.
“The stakes for India in the climate change debate are high. And it is a persistent defender of the
Common but Differentiated Responsibility principle which accommodates developed and developing
nation needs within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
process. But there is good reason for ICAO having the responsibility for aviation’s international
emissions. ICAO has a successful track record of facilitating global agreements and standards which
take into account the needs of developed and developing nations—even on difficult issues such as
noise,” said Tyler.

Rail improve
The first ever commercial train in India ran from Mumbai to Thane on the
16th of April, 1853. This historic event marked the beginning of a railway
network that has an operating distance of more than 65,00 km, making it the
fourth largest railway network in the world! This large network of trains and
stations transports almost 8 billion passengers and almost 1.05 billion tons of
freight every year!

Just a look at these numbers shows that Indian Railways has made significant
strides in its 163 years of existence. But it is no secret that it is also plagued
by several problems – lack of sanitation, archaic infrastructure, low revenue
margin – to name a few.

However, of late, the Railway Ministry, headed by Minister Suresh Prabhu,

has taken several concrete steps to solve these pressing issues once and for
all.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

PHOTO SOURCE: FLICKR

Here’s a list of the Ministry’s most notable endeavours:

1. Increasing investments

One of the biggest causes of the poor facilities of the Railways is lack of
investments. Just a few years ago, for every rupee of revenue that the
Railways earned, it spent 93 paise. With such a minute profit margin, IR lost
out on several big investors. To change this, it has taken several steps such
as improving efficiency, restarting stalled projects and ensuring smooth
execution of ongoing projects, thus making IR more inviting to potential
investors. It has already tasted success in the field and has managed to raise
1.21 lakh crore rupees.

2. Making the Railways a green entity

IR has taken several steps in this area too. For a start, it has given a boost to
its electrification drive, electrifying 1600 km of track in the previous year itself.
It is on track to meeting its seven-year target of electrifying 36,000 km of track.
Moreover, it is also working to reduce diesel consumption and has introduced
dual fuel trains that run on both diesel and CNG. There are also plans to
switch major stations to solar power.

PHOTO SOURCE: YOUTUBE

3. Efforts to increase freight transport

In recent times, Indian Railways has lost out on a lot of revenue due to
manufacturers moving their goods to road transport. In a bid to get back lost
customers, the Ministry has taken initiatives such as increasing the freight
basket from 10 to 40 and ensuring freight trains move on time. The Ministry
has also put special focus on transporting automobiles, a decision that is
already bearing fruit in terms of revenue.

4. Increasing customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is an important issue that is more often than not given
too less importance. In a bid to change this, IR has come up with several
initiatives, such as introducing a universal helpline for all medical, food and
maintenance related issues, bio toilets for better cleanliness and hygiene, etc.

Bio toilets made in conjunction with DRDO.

PHOTO SOURCE: ECO IDEAZ

5. Making in India

Following PM Modi’s famous call to produce in India, the Railway Ministry has
taken several steps to increase manufacturing of train coaches, tracks, etc.
For one, the Rae Bareli coach factory’s capacity was tripled to nearly 1200
coaches. Also, several foreign companies have received permission to set up
manufacturing facilities in states such as Bihar.

Water improve’

The Allahabad-Haldia waterway has immense cargo transport potential but its capacity is not fully
utilised due to depth limitations in the upper reaches. To allow for more cargo movement, the Inland
Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) maintains a 45 m large channel through the waterway. However,
the minimum Least Available Depth (LAD) varies in different stretches of the waterway, which does not
allow uninterrupted cargo movement. We conducted a study to evaluate the techno-economic
feasibility of various solutions for achieving 3.0 m LAD for smoother and more consistent navigation in
the 330 km AllahabadGhazipur stretch. We then demonstrated a phased approach to developing and
implementing these solutions in a fast and cost-effective way. IMPROVING NAVIGATION IN AN INLAND
WATERWAY India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways. About 24 million tonnes of cargo was
transported by India’s inland waterway operator, Inland Water Transport (IWT), in the year 2012-13
alone. Considering the inherent advantages of this mode of transportation, the Government of India
wants to make it an effective supplementary mode of transportation with respect to cargo transport –
equal to rail and road transportation. The Allahabad-Haldia waterway is nearly 1,620 km long and spans
the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand and the eastern state of West Bengal. The
waterway has immense cargo transport potential but its capacity is not fully utilised due to depth
limitations in the upper reaches. SUMMARY CLIENT  Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
CHALLENGE  Unavailability of national waterways as a mode of transportation equivalent to road or rail
 Need to make the Allahabad-Ghazipur stretch of the Allahabad-Haldia national waterway more
navigable and capable of handling greater cargo transport SOLUTION Techno-economic feasibility study
comprising:  satellite image processing  mathematical modelling  evaluating morphological changes
using Geographic Information System (GIS)  economic analyses of costs and benefits 
recommendations about the most costeffective solutions VALUE  making the Allahabad-Ghazipur
stretch of the Allahabad-Haldia waterway more navigable  Augmenting capacity of the waterway for
handling greater cargo transport  Taking a step towards making national waterways a mode of
transportation equal to road or rail LOCATION/COUNTRY Uttar Pradesh, India SOFTWARE USED  MIKE
11  MIKE 21C MIKE BY DHI CASE STORY IMPROVING NAVIGATION OF INLAND WATERWAYS Developing
Indian waterways as effective supplementary modes of transportation Field visit, Allahabad-Ghazipur
national waterway. © DHI © DHI / Cover photo: © DHI To allow for more cargo movement, the Inland
Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) maintains a 45 m large channel through the waterway, with a
minimum Least Available Depth (LAD) of:  3.0 m between Haldia and Farakka  2.0 m between Farakka
and Varanasi  1.5 m between Varanasi and Allahabad However, for uninterrupted cargo movement, the
entire waterway must be uniformly deep – and to be economical, it should be able to cater to high
capacity barges. OUR SOLUTION – A MULTI-PRONGED EFFORT Currently, the waterway only caters to
1.0 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of cargo. However, within the next decade, about 35
MMTPA of cargo is expected on it. Thus, it needs to be more navigable and capable of handling this
steep increase in cargo transport volumes in the coming years. We conducted a study to evaluate the
techno-economic feasibility of achieving 3.0 m LAD for smoother and more consistent navigation in the
330 km Allahabad-Ghazipur stretch. This is because, although Allahabad and Varanasi are the main
potential cargo areas, the river flows through Ghazipur from Haldia, with depth maintained at 2-2.5 m
only. For this study, IWAI provided us with water level information, depth data and bathymetry details
of the entire stretch. Using our one-dimensional MIKE 11 model, we simulated water levels for various
flow conditions. We then compared the predicted data with measured levels to calibrate the model for
the flow conditions. Following this, sediment transport, erosion and deposition was also modelled for
the existing situation. The aim of the mathematical modelling was to resolve the flow all along the
stretch in the existing conditions and also with the proposed measures to maintain the 3.0 m LAD. A
number of solutions needed to be evaluated for improving the waterway’s navigation and cargo
handling capabilities. These river training measures included:  bed vanes to induce secondary currents
 dredging – excavation activity to remove sediment deposits and dispose them elsewhere  bandalling
– a bamboo structure used for river course stabilisation by protecting against bank erosion  submerged
groynes to maintain the main channel  bank revetment – sloping structures placed on the banks in such
a way as to reduce bank erosion  barrages – artificial obstructions built in the river to increase its depth
To evaluate all these possible solutions, we tested the hydraulic and morphological characteristics of the
various solutions. To do this, we used established tools such as:  data analyses  satellite image
processing  GIS modelling  mathematical modelling We then completed our techno-economic
feasibility study by combining these evaluations with economic analyses of costs and benefits. OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS In order to provide a sustained depth of 3.0 m LAD in the river, we identified
certain challenges that needed to be overcome. These included:  erosion during flood events causing
the navigation channel to shift  shoal formation after the receding floods  very low natural discharges
in the river during the lean season We demonstrated a phased approach to developing and
implementing these solutions in a faster and more costeffective way. The first phase included
submerged groynes or bed vanes. We suggested that dredging be executed at eight stretches within 24
locations. For the second phase, we suggested that three barrages, 7 m high each, be constructed
upstream of Ghazipur, upstream of Babura and downstream of Chunar (Maharachhi village). The
barrages would be more permanent solutions and would help to obtain a 3.0 m LAD throughout the
entire stretch.
1. The Government has approved a National Road Safety Policy. This Policy outlines
various policy measures such as promoting awareness, establishing road safety
information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of
intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws etc.
2. The Government has constituted the National Road Safety Council as the apex body to
take policy decisions in matters of road safety.
3. The Ministry has requested all States/UTs for setting up of State Road Safety Council and
District Road Safety Committees, and to hold their meetings regularly.
 4. The Ministry has constituted Group of Ministers of State Transport Minister to examine
the best practices of Transport and suggest issues to improve road safety.
Search
6.

8. STEPS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO CHECK

ACCIDENTS
9. Dated: 15/05/2008

10. Some of the important steps taken by the Government besides highway design to check the road
accidents are as under:
11. i) Various steps to enhance road safety such as road furniture, road markings/road signs,
introduction of Highway Traffic Management System using Intelligent Transport System,
enhancement of discipline among contractors during construction, road safety audit on selected
stretches, have been undertaken by National Highways Authority of India.
12. i) Refresher training to Heavy Motor Vehicle drivers in the unorganized sector.
13. iii) Involvement of NGOs for road safety activities by Department of Road Transport and
Highways and National Highways Authority of India.

iv) Setting up of Driving Training School in the country.

14. v) Publicity campaign on road safety awareness through audio-visual-print media.
15. vi) Institution of National Award for voluntary organizations/individual for outstanding work in the
field of road safety.
16. vii) Tightening of safety standards of vehicles.
17. viii) Provision of cranes and ambulances to various State Governments/NGOs under National
Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme. National Highways Authority of India also provides
ambulances at a distance of 50 Km. on each of its completed highways under its Operation &
Maintenance contracts.
18. ix) Widening and improvements of National Highways from 2 lanes to 4 lanes and 4 lanes to 6
lanes etc.
19. A study was undertaken for ?Establishment of a system for identification of black spots/accident
prone areas? on National Highways in the year 1996.
20. This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways,
Shri K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Water improve

The Union government is working on a strategy to increase the movement of

goods and passengers through waterways by nearly five-fold from a mere 3.5
per cent now to 15 per cent by 2019. The share is 30 to 40 per cent in
countries such as China, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany and
France, Union Shipping and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
Mr Gadkari, who was addressing a conference organised by Assocham here
on Wednesday, said the development of coastal shipping and inland
waterways was a priority for the NDA government.
Logistics cost
He said the development of waterways would reduce the logistics cost,
enabling India to effectively compete in the international market.
“Coastal shipping and inland water transport is a fuel efficient, environment
friendly and cost effective mode, especially for bulk goods. While the road
transportation cost per km is Rs.1.50 and for the Railways it is Re.1, for
waterways, it would be 25 to 30 paise” he said.
Awareness should be created to reduce the logistics cost which was adding 30
per cent to the cost of any product exported from India, thereby making our
products uncompetitive in the global markets.
“The government is working on a priority basis to bring down the logistics
cost and increase exports,” Mr.Gadkari said.
“The coastal shipping system has to be made development-oriented. Besides
we need to implement fast-track decision-making which will come about only
when people change their mindset,” he said.
The Minister said that the Shipping Ministry had prepared a vision document
on coastal shipping, tourism and regional development to increase the share
of inland water transport and coastal shipping, development of regional
centres to generate cargo for coastal traffic and promotion of cruise tourism.
To encourage transportation of goods by coastal shipping, service tax has
been brought on par with road and rail transport. The government has also
relaxed cabotage (right to operate transport services within a particular
territory) for specialised vessels like Ro-Ro, Hybrid Ro-Ro, car carriers and
truck carriers for a period of five years.
He said his Ministry had taken several initiatives to promote shipping with an
aim to add 2 per cent to the GDP and create 50 lakh jobs.
“We have taken steps for the modernisation, mechanisation and
computerisation of the coastal shipping system to promote transparency and
the NDA government has zero tolerance for corruption,” he said.
On port development, Mr.Gadkari said the government had taken a decision
to start three major ports at a cost of Rs.18,000 crore to Rs.20,000 crore.
These include a port at Wadhwan near Dahanu in Maharashtra, Colachel Port
near Kanyakumari and the Sagar Island Port in West Bengal.
Joint venture
The Wadhwan Port will be built as a joint venture between JNPT and the
Maharashtra Maritime Board, and was intended to decongest the
overburdened JNPT Port at Nhava Sheva. The government would float
tenders before March this year.