LOIS stresses night navigation, deepening of NWW-3

Kochi, June 22 (UNI) The government should take necessary steps for deepening the National Waterway-3 (NWW-3) to two meters and providing night navigation facilities throughout the 205 km route between Kottappuram and Kollam in Kerala, a leading inland water transporter Land Ocean Transport Services said here today.

Addressing a press conference here, LOTS Chief Executive Officer Renjit Nelluvelil said, ''with the development of the Vallarpadam transshipment terminal here, the NWW-3 could be used in a bigger way for transportation of containers from the hinterlands.'' As inland water transport was an environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transport, the government should instruct the public sector companies to opt for barging for moving their products and raw materials, he added.

Mr Nelluvelil said the inland water transport division of LOTS Shipping would add the eighth barge to its fleet at a function here on June 24 with the launch of a 450 DWT dry cargo-cum-container, manufactured by the LOTS master shipyard.

The yard, situated at Kannanghattu near Edakochi had the facility to build vessels upto 3500 DWT. The vessel being launched on Saturday, called 'M B Bharatapuzha', is a flat bottom dry cargo cum container barge propelled by two engines. This is the first barge in Kerala built under the capital subsidy scheme of Inland Waterways Authority of India.

One more similar type of barge was nearing completion, he added.

Besides transporting cargo for companies such as FACT and Binani Zinc in Kerala, LOTS also operate barges in Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

UNI ARC ROY CS KP1652