The combination of an extensive 978-km national waterways and a thriving cement and power plant sector promises to bestow on Andhra Pradesh a unique advantage.

The AP Inland Waterways Authority (APIWA) is taking up a slew of initiatives to ease the movement of cargo for major industries in the state. 

According to D Dilip Kumar, Board Chairman, APIWA , the immense potential for logistics development along the state’s waterways can be better harnessed through result-oriented projects. 

The APIWA has formulated two such major projects for the movement of domestic and export-import cargo from cement and power plants through national waterways. 

The modalities for these are being worked out. 

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Currently a major chunk of this freight is transported through railways. 

Watery speedways

Andhra Pradesh has 57 rivers — small, medium and large — with deltas spread across the length and breadth of the state, and a 975-km coastline. 

This intricate network of waterways serves as an alternative and cheaper mode of transport. 

The national waterways in Andhra Pradesh include the Godavari river-Krishna canal system (NW-4) comprising the Godavari (Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry), Krishna (Wazirabad-Vijayawada), Kakinada canal (Kakinada port-Dowleswaram), Eluru canal (Rajahmundry-Vijayawada), Commamuru canal (Vijayawada-Pedaganjam), and North Buckingham canal (Pedaganjam-Tada); Penna river (NW-79 — Pothireddypalem-Kudithipalem/ Bay of Bengal); and the Tungabhadra river (NW-104 — K Singavaram-Joharapuram). 

The connectivity can be further enhanced to link the cluster of cement factories at Muktyala and Jaggaiahpet with Kakinada and Machilipatnam ports through the Krishna river (NW-4) and Bandar canal.

Connectivity for the cement factories and power plants in the Kadapa region will also be augmented. 

There is potential for transport of nearly 14 million tonnes per annum cargo (coal, cement, gypsum and bauxite) by linking Krishnapatnam port with the inland water transport system along the Penna river (NW-79). 

Other important projects on the anvil include roll-on, roll-off or RoRo ferry services at Muktyala and Ibrahimpatnam on the Krishna river and Seethanagaram on the Godavari river (NW-4), and water-bound tourism circuits on a host of rivers and other isolated waterbodies. 

The feasibility studies for these projects are at an advanced stage.

Andhra Pradesh currently moves about 8 million tonnes per annum cargo through inland water transport.

Untapped potential

India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways, including rivers, canals, backwaters, and creeks. 

The country currently moves about 55 million tonnes per annum cargo through inland waterways — a fuel-efficient and environment-friendly mode of transport. 

The operations are, however, restricted to a few stretches on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai, and the deltaic regions of the Godavari-Krishna rivers.

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