National Waterway 3
Also called: NW-3, West Coast Canal · Topic: Transport and Communication in India · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 7 "Lifelines of National Economy"; Class 12, Ch 7 "Transport and Communication"
Meaning
National Waterway 3 (NW-3) is the West Coast Canal in Kerala. It runs from Kottapuram to Kollam and is 205 km long. It has three parts: 168 km of the West Coast Canal, the Champakara canal (14 km) and the Udyogmandal canal (23 km). It runs through Kerala's backwaters, or kayals, which are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the coast. The water is calm, so boats can use it all year. It carries cargo, local passengers and tourists.
Example
Boats along the Kerala backwaters near Kochi and Alappuzha use this waterway. The backwaters are also famous for tourist houseboats and the Nehru Trophy boat race.
Don't confuse with
- National Waterway 5: this includes the East Coast Canal in Odisha and West Bengal. NW-3 is the West Coast Canal in Kerala.
Related concepts
- Inland waterways
- Inland Waterways Authority of India
- National Waterways Act 2016
- National Waterway 1
- National Waterway 2
- National Waterway 4
- National Waterway 5
- Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route