Berlin, August 10 (QNA) - Cargo traffic could come to a halt on part of the Rhine in the coming days, as water levels are expected to continue falling to levels that would make commercial shipping impossible, warned Federal Association of German Inland Navigation (BDB).

Jens Schwanen, the BDB's managing director, said water levels at the Kaub gauging station continue to fall and that commercial and cruise vessels would no longer be able to pass between the cities of Koblenz and Mainz.

Data from the German federal government's Waterways Information System showed that the river's water level had fallen to around 17 centimeters at the Kaub gauging station.

The Federal Institute of Hydrology, for its part, projected that the water level could gradually fall to around four or five centimeters by next Friday.

A halt to shipping traffic at Kaub would leave the Rhine no longer navigable along its entire length, effectively splitting the river in two, with shipping continuing north of the affected area between the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp and North Rhine-Westphalia as far as Cologne.

As such, traffic south of the affected area would remain possible separately along the Neckar, Main and Moselle rivers and the Main-Danube Canal.

The Rhine is Germany's most important waterway for cargo transport, with major industrial companies relying on it to transport fuel, chemicals and raw materials.

 Falling water levels in recent weeks have forced vessels to reduce their cargo loads, make more trips and incur higher transport costs, putting additional pressure on supply chains and production operations. (QNA)