Tamil Nadu’s National Waterways To See Major Jetty And Cruise Tourism Upgrades Under Sustainable Infrastructure Push

The Union government has detailed a series of significant infrastructure upgrades planned across National Waterways in Tamil Nadu, aimed at enhancing cargo transport and promoting river cruise tourism.

The initiatives were shared by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

As part of the proposals, the Buckingham Canal, a constituent of National Waterway 4 will see the development of jetties along key stretches.

These include Mahabalipuram to Ediyur Bridge, the Cooum River section near Marina Beach, Pulicat Lake, and the Ennore Port to ETPS corridor, the latter earmarked for cargo movement.

On the River Bhavani (National Waterway 20), a jetty will be built near the Bhavani-Sangameswar Temple to facilitate river cruise tourism.

The River Kaveri-Kollidam (National Waterway 55) will have a similar facility near Chidambaram, while the River Pazhyar (National Waterway 77) will see a jetty near Kanyakumari, serving both tourism and cargo purposes.

The River Ponniyar (National Waterway 80) will also host a jetty for dual-use operations.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will oversee the projects, ensuring maritime-standard, environmentally sustainable infrastructure such as floating jetties equipped with navigational aids and all-weather fairways for continuous passenger and cargo transport.

Development activities will be preceded by Detailed Project Reports assessing the economic benefits to surrounding areas.

“Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plans (EIA-EMP) are also carried out to mitigate the potential damages to the ecosystem,” the Minister noted.

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