National waterways in India: All you need to know

[ecis2016.org] The Indian government is looking at utilising the extensive inland waterways network of India as an economical mode of transportation. As many as 111 inland waterways have been declared as ‘National Waterways’ in India under the National Waterways Act, 2016.

Efficient transportation is crucial for any country and for its economic growth. The 14,500 kilometres of navigable waterways in India, present huge opportunities as an economical mode of transportation. Considering the challenges in land acquisition for national and state highways and the rising cost of construction of road infrastructure, the government is aiming to utilise the potential of waterways. Under the National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 inland waterways (including five national waterways in India declared earlier) have been declared as ‘national waterways’.

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The aim of the government is to promote inland water transport in India as an economical, environment-friendly and supplementary mode of transportation to rail and road. The development of national waterways is also expected to boost industrial growth of the hinterland along the waterways.

What are national waterways?

India has a vast network of inland waterways that include river bodies, canals, backwaters and creeks. However, these inland waterways have been unutilised, as compared to other countries in the world. The National Waterways Act proposed 106 additional national waterways to the five national waterways declared earlier. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is responsible for the timely execution of national waterways projects and to ensure improved water transportation in India.

Operational national waterways of India

Out of the 111 national waterways, there are 13 national waterways that are operational for shipping and navigation. These are:

• National Waterway 1: Ganga-Bhagirathi – Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad)
• National Waterway 2: Brahmaputra River (Dhubri – Sadiya)
• National Waterway 3: West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals
• National Waterway 4: Phase – 1 development of the stretch Muktiyala to Vijayawada of river Krishna
• National Waterway 10: Amba River
• National Waterway 83: Rajpuri Creek
• National Waterway 85: Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System
• National Waterway 91: Shastri river – Jaigad creek system
• National Waterway 68: Mandovi – Usgaon Bridge to the Arabian Sea spanning 41 kilometres
• National Waterway 111: Zuari – Sanvordem Bridge to Marmugao Port spanning 50 kilometres
• National Waterway 73: Narmada river
• National Waterway 100: Tapi river
• National Waterway 97 or Sunderbans Waterways: Namkhana to AtharaBankiKhal in West Bengal

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About Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is responsible for the development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. Launched in October 1986, the Noida-headquartered Authority has regional offices across different cities. It mainly undertakes projects for developing and maintaining the Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on national waterways through grants from the Shipping Ministry.

The RITES Report of 2014 on Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid, highlighted fuel efficiency and cost savings as some important benefits of the IWT mode, as compared to rail and road transportation.

The Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid is a study undertaken by IWAI through RITES Limited, a consultancy agency, with the objective of linking all national waterways to national/state highways, railways and ports, to make them an integral part of the total transportation grid. The estimated cost of the overall project is Rs 22,763 crores. It was planned for implementation under two phases, phase 1 (2015-18) and phase 2 (2018-23).

National waterways: Latest news

Update on February 21, 2022

According to the official government report, based on the outcome of techno-economic feasibility and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of NWs (National Waterways), 25 national waterways have been found viable by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for cargo/ passenger movement. Developmental activities have been initiated in 13 national waterways.

For development of the stretch between Vijayawada to Muktayala in Krishna River of National Waterway 4 in Andhra Pradesh, a budget of Rs 96 has been sanctioned.

National waterways 1 opens, first cargo vessel of IWAI flagged off from Patna

On February 5, 2022, Union Minister for ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, flagged off the first cargo vessel of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains, from Patna to Pandu in Guwahati through rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra via Bangladesh. The vessel will sail through the national waterways 1.

Update on October 29, 2021

Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)

The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) was undertaken by the IWAI, for capacity augmentation of navigation on National Waterway 1 from Haldia to Varanasi, spanning a length of 1,390 kms. It was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on January 3, 2018. The project, being developed with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank, has an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crores. The first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga in Varanasi was inaugurated under the project in November 2018.

Indian government introduces the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021

To promote economical and safe transportation and to bring uniformity in the law relating to inland waterways and navigation in India, the government introduced the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2021. It aims to provide safe navigation, protection of life and cargo and prevention of pollution due to the use of inland vessels. According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the bill will bring transparency and accountability to the administration of inland water transportation, strengthen procedures governing inland vessels, their construction, survey, registration, manning and navigation, and other related matters. One of the key features of the bill, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act of 1917, is the formation of a unified law for the country, instead of separate rules formulated by states.

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