The central government has reportedly finalized to start a comprehensive survey of irrigation-cum-navigation al canals in Andhra Pradesh for reviving the century old Buckingham canal from Yanam to Chennai.
In this regard, the Centre has opened the regional office of inland waterways recently in Vijayawada. The Buckingham Canal connects Kakinada city with Chennai through a series of canals drawing waters from rivers Godavari and Krishna. The canal was extensively used for navigation until 1980 when it was shut down for cargo boats.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is all set to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for reviving the 1,100 km-long canal system running through Yanam-Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Eluru and then Vijayawada, Tenali, Nellore and Chennai.
The Centre is getting ready to spend about Rs 2,000 crore for the modernization of inland waterways for the purpose of cargo transport in next few years.
