'Yamuna to have ferries; work on terminals, dredging by Dec'

The Inland Waterways Authority of India has floated three tenders for ferry vessels, dredging and the setting up of terminals on 16 km stretch of the Yamuna in the national capital.
It has also sought permission from the National Green Tribunal for the works on the river.
"We are looking at Yamuna very closely. We have worked out and surveyed about 16 km of Yamuna. Yesterday we had come out with three tenders on Yamuna - one for ferry vessels, other for dredging and third for operating and construction of terminal," IWAI Chairman Amitabh Verma said today.
"I believe by December you would see construction and dredging activities... We have filed application with NGT to get permission from them," he said.

Addressing Infrastructure Conclave-2016, organised by industry body PHDCCI here, Verma also announced that tenders for developing 7 waterways will be floated in next 3-4 months.
Parliament has given nod to convert 106 rivers into National Waterways apart from the existing 6.

Verma said IWAI has identified 30 stretches to be developed as Inland Waterways and tender process have been started for eight stretches while tender for another 7 stretches will follow this.
He said the government is also planning to come out with a new policy on dredging.
"We have made a draft policy on dredging which we shall be putting on our website very shortly for eliciting market response and after that we shall form our Dredging Policy," he said, adding that a new Inland Vessel Act would also be in place.

He said the legislation has been drafted in view of the technological innovation in the sector and would be vetted by the Law Ministry soon.
"In the Winter Session, we should be able to place it in Parliament," he said.