“Transport your cargo through rivers and canals; save the money and environment; also earn money for carbon credits”, was the unanimous call of navigation experts, surveyors, industrialists, government bodies and legal fellows in a seminar that explored potential, progress and strategies of inland water transport in Pakistan.
The seminar organised by the Institute of Policy Studies. The speakers included Naeem Sarfraz, former chairman, Maritime Task Force, Imtiaz Tajwar, secretary, Wapda, Riaz Khan, technical advisor, Agritech Ltd, and Commodore M Azhar, former DG, Gwadar Port Authority, while Mirza Hamid Hasan, former secretary, water and power was in chair.
The panellists observed that the extensive river and canal network of Pakistan was used over centuries for transportation. There was no cargo movement on the waterways now, despite the fact that huge fuel savings can be achieved in the country, which was highly dependent on expensive imported fuel. The fuel saved can be used for critical power generation.-PR
