Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held a high-level meeting here on the proposed Uttar Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority, and directed for its formation at the earliest to expand waterways transport in the state.?

Discussing the formation of the inland waterways authority (IWA), Adityanath said the responsibility should be given to eminent experts for the post of its chairman and vice-chairman. The transport commissioner of the state should be nominated as its CEO, he said.

According to an official statement, the chief minister also said that state IWA will be the nodal authority to coordinate with the Inland Waterways Authority of India.?All activities related to inland water transport and tourism will be regulated by the IWA and it will also discharge the responsibility of hydrographic survey and investigation for compliance of environmental and safety laws related to water transport, development and better use of waterways, the statement said.

The inland water traffic data should be studied and analyzed by the IWA, he said.?Scientific research should be done in relation to activities of inland water transport, tourism, shipping and navigation. Technical training should also be done for the stakeholders and officers/employees of the inland water transport, Adityanath said.

The chief minister also said that in the context of proper utilization and regulation of the waterways of the rivers in the state, the IWA will have an important role in determination of catchment area, channelization of rivers and keeping them navigable throughout the year, among others.?

Besides, the authority will also play a role in preparing the tourist circuit route. The chief minister directed that coordination of water transport with other modes of transport and encouraging public-private partnership would also be done by the authority.? Saying that the nature of every river is different, he said the authority should decide a standard for the classification of inland waterways.