Development of waterways smoother than highways

Expenditure on land acquisition and related rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R) for a waterway project is five per cent of project cost, half of what it would be for highway

As highway projects continue to grapple with land acquisition hurdles and associated costs, shifting focus to more economical waterway projects makes more sense for the Union government, some experts said.
 
For instance, the total project cost of National Waterway-1 (Varanasi to Haldia) is Rs 5,369 crore or Rs 3.31 crore per km (its length is 1,620 km). Whereas, the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway around Delhi is being constructed for Rs 4,418 crore or Rs 32.7 crore per km.
 

Expenditure on land acquisition and related rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R) for a waterway project is five per cent