THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has urged the Centre to extend the Kovalam-Kollam-Kottapuram-Bekal coastal waterway, part of the west-coast canal project, from 365 km to 696 km. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday held a discussion with Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya seeking the Centre’s financial assistance and support for the development of waterways in the state.
The Kollam-Kozhikode stretch of the 590-km-long west-coast canal is part of the national waterway. The state government has already started a project to develop canals connecting the regions north of Kozhikode and regions south of Kollam with the National Waterway-III.
This project costs Rs 6,000 crore. The government plans to implement this as part of the third phase of the national waterway. The Union Minister said that the state’s demand would be raised in Parliament.