Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday introduced the National Waterways Bill in the Lok Sabha.
A bill is focussed on making provisions for existing national waterways and to provide for the declaration of certain inland waterways as national waterways.
The National Waterways Bill-2015 is also aimed at providing for the regulation and development of the waterways for the purpose of shipping and navigation.
The Centre has evolved a policy of integrated development of inland waterways throughout the country and has identified 101 new inland waterways to be declared as national waterways for the purposes of shipping and navigation in a fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly way.