[2] On the main West Coast Canal between Kollam and Kottapuram, the Kochi Edapallikota (120 km) stretch was opened for cargo movement during November 1994 consequent to improvement works carried out by IWAI.

[4] Kerala's backwaters offer incomparable beauty and unique experience which have contributed to its inclusion in the list of 50 must-see places in the world.

The palm-fringed, tranquil backwaters which house hundreds of River Cruise between Kochi to Alleppey, also known as Venice of the East is popular among tourists.

M.V.Vrinda-an exclusive river cruiser with 8 tastefully appointed luxury cabins takes tourists from Kochi along the main waterway on lake Vembanad, Kerala's largest backwater stretch to Alleppey tourists are taken in smaller country boats on rice excursion, tour of traditional Kerala family residence[4] Water bodies in the city, such as the Kochi, Perandoor and Thevara canals, were being used for navigation till some decades ago.

A sizeable quantity of chemicals and fertilizer imports of public sector FACT (raw materials) were being transported through the Udyogamandal canal by barges.

There is a passenger ferry operated by Kerala State Water Transport Department from Vyttila Mobility Hub to Kakkanad stretch of Udhyogamandal Canal from 2013.

To divert a share of goods and passenger traffic to the waterway, agencies in the field are toying with the idea of linking the Cochin International Airport and the Kochi port, which are 17.2-km apart.

Many of Kerala's export-based industries that use Kochi port to route their shipments can grow considerably if they tap the potential of the State's inland water transport system.

Kochi port is connected to Kerala's hinterland through inland waterways which run virtually parallel to the Arabian Sea and link major trading centres.

International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam at Cochin Coast is one of such external factor which will create lot of future potential for IWAI in Kerala.

[12] Traffic will, in all likelihood, come to a halt in Kochi when hundreds of container-laden lorries take to the city roads and highways when the Vallarpadam container transhipment terminal becomes functional.

[13] A number of industrial plants on the banks of Udyogamandal Canal, where the public sector FACT and Travancore Cochin Chemicals (TCC) are located.

Though waterways are the cheapest, safest and most eco-friendly mode of transport, many of the navigable canals in Kochi are now being used to dump waste from households, shops and markets.

Linkages to Velloor via Muvattupuzha river for 25 km and from Muhamma to the eastern bank of Vembanadu lake to Kumarakom and Nattakom also have been suggested.