Seminar: Experts for inland water transport mode for cargo

Say rivers and canals were used for transportation over centuries.


News Desk June 20, 2013
Naeem Sarfraz said that Pakistan has 30,000 kilometres of navigable channels and dozens of studies and surveys have declared it a viable, profitable and sustainable option. PHOTO: FILE



Transport your cargo through rivers and canals, save money and environment and also earn money for carbon credits.


This was stated by navigation experts, surveyors, industrialists, government bodies and others at a seminar thatdiscussed the potential of the inland water transport system in Pakistan. The seminar was organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad.

Maritime Task Force former chairman Naeem Sarfraz, WAPDA Secretary Imtiaz Tajwar, Agritech (Ltd) technical advisor Riaz Khan, Gwadar Port Authority former DG Commodore M Azhar and water and power former secretary Mirza Hamid Hasan were the main speakers at the seminar.

The panellists observed that the extensive river and canal network was used over centuries for transportation but currently there is no cargo movement on the waterways. They said that huge fuel savings could be achieved if it was used properly. The fuel saved could be used for critical power generation, they said.

Talking about misperceptions about viability of rivers and canals in Pakistan for inland water transport, Naeem Sarfraz said that Pakistan has 30,000 kilometres of navigable channels and dozens of studies and surveys have declared it a viable, profitable and sustainable option. He, however, deplored that there was no follow-up on either of these studies and today Pakistan was the only country in the world that was not using its waters for inland cargo handling.

He said that one ton of freight could be transported to 180 kilometres with one liter of fuel as opposed to 75 kilometres through train and 25 kilometers through road. “The maintenance cost, too, is negligible as compared to roads and oil import bill would decrease by millions of dollars if inland navigation was opted.”

Tajwar said that current potential of inland water transport in Pakistan was 267 billion tons. He said that in light of  recommendations of a taskforce established by the government to revamp the maritime industry in 2009, a plan has been in final stages of its paperwork and PC-2 has already been submitted to the government.  “As soon as a law is enacted and funds allocated, a pilot project will commence on a 200-kilometre inland water between Daudkhel and Nowshehra,” he said.

“All ingredients required for an initiative are available and the only thing required is the political will,” the experts concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2013.

 

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