According to government watchdog Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), infrastructure created at a cost of Rs 284 crore for three of the National Waterways has remained underutilised.
CAG had reviewed the status of utilisation of infrastructure facilities of Inland Waterways. In its report tabled in Parliament, the entity said, “Infrastructure created at National Waterways 1, 2 and 3 at a cost of Rs 284.20 crore remained underutilised.”
About the National Waterways 3 in Kerala, CAG said it could not be fully navigable even after 23 years, despite huge expenditure on infrastructure.
The West Coast canal from Kollam to Kottapuram (168 km) along with Champakara (14 km) and Udyogmandal canals (23 km) in Kerala was declared as NW 3 in February 1993.
Similarly, it pulled up the authorities for underutilisation of jetties along NW 2 in Assam, and infrastructure of NW 1 on the Ganga.
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