SRINAGAR: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Monday stressed on introduction of inland water transport in river Jhelum to boost tourism and also provide an alternate connectivity module to people.
Interacting with the visiting team of Inland Waterways Authority of India led by its Chairperson, Nutan Guha Biswas here on August 28, the Chief Minister said Jhelum being the nerve centre of the Valley’s socio cultural ethos, movement of people and freight through the river would re create the good old days for which the place is known for in the history, reports Kashmir Life.
This, she said, would give a consequential boost to the tourism of the State. She asked for connecting Anantnag-Baramulla stretch as a first step for introducing water transport in the river.
The Chief Minister also asked for linking the dredging of major irrigation canals with this waterway network and also think of using this network for cargo movement at a large scale in future.
Mehbooba Mufti asked for covering Salal Dam, Sindh and Chenab rivers under inland water transport. She also asked for reviving the old navigational channels in Wullar to make the lake an attraction for water transport thereby boosting tourism in the area.
The Chairperson of Inland Waterways Authority of India, Nutan Guha Biswas informed the Chief Minister that all steps would be taken by her organisation to make Jhelum, Ravi, Tawi, Sindh and other rivers navigable.
She said these rivers would be made navigable on the pattern of canals of Kerala by improving the permanent jetties on the Jhelum river and also introducing the new concept of floating jetties.
