Panaji, Sep 16 (IANS) Goa's three major rivers, which help ferry nearly Rs.8,000 crore of iron and manganese ore, should be declared national waterways so that these can be maintained properly, a shipping industry stakeholder said Thursday.

"Despite our repeated requests to desilt the rivers and repair the waterways, the state government has done nothing. They do not have the money to carry out maintenance," said Atul Jadhav, president of the All Goa barge owners association (AGBOA).

He said the waterways should be declared national waterways so that the National Waterways Authority of India (NWAI) would take up their maintenance.

About 300 barges ply on Goa's three major rivers- Zuari, Mandovi and Cumbharjua- everyday, ferrying nearly 40 million tonnes of iron and manganese ore from the mining pits to the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) for export.

"There are dangerous bends which need correction. The rivers need to be desilted. The state government simply is not concerned," Jadhav said, adding that on several occasions barges have run aground in the shallow river bed, which is topped with mining silt.

"We have discussed the issue with Inland waterways authority of India (IWAI) and put up our demand," Jadhav said.

A river navigation department official said the state government was considering a proposal to name some of the rivers as national waterways. "We are in talks with the NWAI. We will be arriving at a decision soon," the official said.