New Delhi: On Monday, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has moved the National Green Tribunal(NGT) seeking its nod for starting of boat transport service on the part of Yamuna river, prompting the green panel to seek response from Central and Delhi government on the issue.
A bench headed by the Chairperson of NGT – Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Government, Environment Ministry, Ministry of Water Resources, and others while seeking their reply by 19th October 2016.
The Inland Waterways Authority has sought permission to construct an environment friendly ‘water taxi project’ on Yamuna river for shipping and navigation water transport facility from Wazirabad to Fatehpur Jat (Saharanpur, UP) in accordance with the National Waterways Act 2016 and the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985. The water taxi project on Yamuna river declared as National Waterway 110 under National Waterways Act 2016.
Inland Waterways Authority of India said that it has conducted feasibility study through a reputed consultant for the integrated development of Yamuna river to develop water transport facilities in the Delhi region(Palla-Wazirabad- Okhla) and to enable navigation which has revealed that water taxi is the most feasible and environmentally sustainable for the stretch.
According to a plea that the proposal of the project involves development of five floating terminals which would be anchored by cables. These floating terminals will be less than the 20,000 sq meter each structures.
The applicant proposes to provide e-rickshaws for ensuring the connectivity to the floating terminals from the approach road.
Spaces will be marked for parking. No parking spaces are planned in the surrounding area of the floodplains. A waiting area with toilets which will not be be a permanent shed but a steel shed supported by poles.
Maintaining dredging will be undertaken to ensure assured depth of the river stretch of 16 km for light moving vessels and also for the terminals to the main channels, the plea said.
