October 31, 2013
State to revamp water transport system
To make water transport a key attraction for tourists and reduce pressure on surface transport, the state Transport Department, along with several other agencies, has decided to build new jetties and repair several existing ones along both sides of river Ganga.
Concerned over reports from district magistrates, municipalities, panchayat and rural development departments that many jetties along river Ganga needed a facelift, the state government has swung into action to build and repair several jetties.
The state Transport Department has released around Rs 15 crore to build many new jetties and repair several existing ones. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked officials to overhaul the poor water transport system.
District magistrate of South 24-Parganas has sent a proposal to the state Transport Department requesting it to release the funds to build the six new jetties. The new jetties will come up at Falta, Nainan, Achipur, Raipur, Bural, and Nurpur ghat. District magistrate of North 24-Parganas has sent a proposal to the department requesting to renovate 11 ghats along both sides of Ganga. The Transport Department will spend Rs 17 lakh to repair the ghats in North 24-Parganas.
On 25 September, principal secretary of the department along with senior officials of South and North 24-Parganas, irrigation and waterways directorate, surface transport corporation and tourism department convened a meeting at Paribahan Bhawan to give a facelift to water transport infrastructure.
The article was first published in The Statesman on October 31, 2013
