Govt to launch seaplane services on various routes: Union minister Mandaviya | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Govt to launch seaplane services on various routes: Union minister Mandaviya

PTI | , New Delhi
Feb 12, 2021 01:33 PM IST

The proposed routes include Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Udaipur, Delhi-Jodhpur and Delhi-Badrinath among others.

The government is looking to start seaplane services on several routes post the launch of the country's maiden seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.

Sagarmala Development Company Limited, a CPSE under the shipping ministry, has invited Expression of Interest from airline operators.(PTI.)
Sagarmala Development Company Limited, a CPSE under the shipping ministry, has invited Expression of Interest from airline operators.(PTI.)

The proposed routes include Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Udaipur, Delhi-Jodhpur and Delhi-Badrinath among others, the ports, shipping and waterways minister told reporters here.

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The minister said the proposed services would also cover various islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep, Guwahati Riverfront and Umranso Reservoir in Assam, Yamuna Riverfront / Delhi (as hub) to Ayodhaya, Tehri, Srinagar (Uttrakhand), Chandigarh and many other tourist places.

These will be developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, he said.

Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), a CPSE under the shipping ministry, has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from airline operators for seaplane services.

No separate budget has been provided as of now for this initiative, as per the ministry, and the objective of the EoI is to assess the interest of the airline operators for joint development and operation of the seaplane services with SDCL.

Earlier, Mandaviya had said development of 14 more water aerodromes is being planned pan India under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik).

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had requested the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to conduct a hydrographic survey and later on requested assistance in setting up jetties for facilitating the passenger movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on October 31 inaugurated India's maiden seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarat's Narmada district and the Sabarmati Riverfront.

On the Chabahar port in Iran, Mandaviya said India has started operations there and it will reduce logistics cost in container transport to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, bypassing China and Europe.

So far, CIS countries could be reached only via China or Europe, he said.

Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan province of energy-rich Iran's southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India's western coast, bypassing Pakistan.

CIS countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan.

About seafarers, he said India plans to take their number to five lakh.

Efforts during the past six years have taken the figure to 2.4 lakh from 1.1 lakh.

Inland waterways are being strengthened with 4,000 kms already developed, he said, adding that India's 95 per cent cargo by volume and 75 per cent by value is handled through ports but the sector has remained neglected.

Recalling India's glorious past in the maritime sector, he said efforts are on to boost the segment through initiatives like Sagarmala, which is an ambitious port-led development programme.

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