India’s Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) has announced a Rs500bn ($5.8bn) investment to enhance its inland waterways network.
This financial injection, announced during the second IWDC meeting, aims to strengthen infrastructure along national waterways.
The meeting was hosted by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), which serves as the primary agency for the advancement of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
IWAI is set to implement a range of new initiatives across 21 inland waterways, amounting to more than Rs14bn ($162.4m).
Additionally, the National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRT&NS) has been launched to ensure the seamless movement and safety of inland vessels.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said: “Major projects of upgrade in Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) has been conceived today at the meeting. To build a robust IWT in the country, the government is planning to develop shipbuilding and ship repair facilities across all the NWs.
“This will reduce logistics costs, boosting the ancillary industries, and encouraging inclusion of riparian communities through employment opportunities. Further to the nine Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoE) to skill up manpower and encourage innovation and research in the marine and IWT sector being developed by the Ministry, more CEOs will be created all across the nation.”
In Andhra Pradesh, Sonowal announced the construction of six floating steel jetties on river Godavari (NW 4) and a feasibility study on river Penna (NW 79), along with a detailed project report (DPR) for NW 4 to gather further development insights.
For Assam, the establishment of a Regional Centre of Excellence (RcoE) in Dibrugarh was announced, aiming to foster an ecosystem for training and development in the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector.
Sonowal also revealed plans for the design, construction, supply, testing and commissioning of 12 vessels, including one survey vessel for river Barak (NW 16), and the procurement of two steel pontoons with gangway for terminal facilities under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
Sonowal announced the construction of ten community jetties across three rivers in Goa and approved proposals for fairway maintenance.
All national waterways in Goa will also be equipped with Vessel Traffic Management Systems (VTMS).
The government also plans to enhance cruise tourism and urban transportation with seven jetties on river Jhelum (NW 49) in Jammu & Kashmir.
In Ladakh, two jetties and one green vessel will be funded on the river Indus (NW 46).
In December 2024, the ‘Jalvahak’ scheme was introduced to incentivise long-haul cargo movement on rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Barak, with fixed scheduled services between key locations.
