It has been two years since the Union Minister for Shipping and Transport, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, announced the Government’s ambitious plan to revive the National Waterways-1 (Ganga Waterway) between Haldia and Allahabad, justifying it on the grounds that India’s waterway potential remains highly underutilized, although six times cheaper than road transport. In a letter dated 18 th June, 2014 forwarded by Mr. Gadkari to the Finance Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley, a proposal for financial assistance to four navigational barrages was also made. The announcement drew a wave of concern from the fishing community, environmentalists and everyone concerned with the state and fate of the river. At the forefront were fishermen and activists from Bihar who said that the catch of Hilsa and several other migratory fish species has disappeared after the construction of the Farakka barrage, located downstream in the neighboring state of West Bengal. The plan for more barrages on
Debadityo Sinha is an award-winning Indian ecologist and conservationist with a keen interest in studying the impact of law, policy, politics, and culture on conservation. He is the founder and Managing Trustee of 'Vindhyan Ecology & Natural History Foundation', and a member of IUCN Species Survival Commission- Bear Specialist Group. He is associated with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy as a Senior Resident Fellow and leading the environmental law vertical.