National Waterway - GS questions based on daily current affairs

ANSWER: 111

Explanation:

• India now has 111 waterways
• Under Entry 24 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the central government can make laws on shipping and navigation on inland waterways which are classified as national waterways by Parliament by law.
• The Act identifies 111 waterways as national waterways, including the five existing national waterways. The Act also specifies the extent of development to be undertaken on each waterway.
• The Act repeals the five Acts that had declared the existing national waterways. These five national waterways will be covered under the Act.
• The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Act states that while inland waterways is recognised as a fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly mode of transport, it has received lesser investment as compared to roads and railways. Since inland waterways are lagging behind other modes of transport, the central government has evolved a policy for integrated development of inland waterways.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:

• The National Waterway 1 or NW1 is located in India and runs from Haldia (Sagar) to Allahabad across the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river systems.
• National Waterway 2 (NW-2) is Sadiya — Dhubri stretch of Brahmaputra river having a length of 891 km between the Bangladesh border and Sadiya.
• The West Coast Canal or National Waterway No 3 is a 168-km stretch of this inland navigational route located in Kerala, India and runs from Kollam to Kottapuram. Along with the Kottapuram-Kollam stretch of the West Coast Canal, the NW3 also includes Champakara Canal and Udyogmandal Canal.
• The NW-4 runs along the Coromandal Coast through Kakinada, Eluru, Commanur, Buckingham Canals and also through part of Krishna and Godavari rivers in South India. With a length of 1095km it includes Kakinada–Pondicherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly Tank, Bhadrachalam – Rajahmundry stretch of River Godavari and Wazirabad – Vijayawada stretch of River Krishna.
• NW5 is Talcher–Dhamra stretch of the Brahmani River, the Geonkhali - Charbatia stretch of the East Coast Canal, the Charbatia–Dhamra stretch of Matai river and the Mangalgadi - Paradip stretch of the Mahanadi River Delta. It covers the state of Odisha and a part of West Bengal.
• National Waterways 6 is a proposed waterway between Lakhipur and Bhanga of the Barak River announced in 2013-14.

ANSWER: Allahabad–Haldia

Explanation:

• The National Waterway 1 or NW1 is located in India and runs from Haldia (Sagar) to Allahabad across the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river systems.
• It is 1620 km long, making it the longest waterway in India, NW1 passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• It was declared as a waterway in October 1986. It is navigable by mechanical boat up to Patna.