The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has established a new regional office in Srinagar, committed ₹100 crore to improve three National Waterways in the region — River Chenab. Here, you’ll go through complete information related to Inland Water Transport.
Current Status
(a) National Waterways Act, 2016, has announced 111 inland waterways as ‘National Waterways’ (NWs) in the country. Its Aim is to encourage shipping and navigation on them. The total length of NWs is around 20,000 km spread across all States in the country.
(b) At present, India leverages a few stretches in the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala, the inland waters in Mumbai, and the deltaic regions of the Godavari – Krishna rivers.
Advantages of Inland Water Transport
(i) Cost-Effective Logistics: Waterways are cheaper as compared to road and rail. Fuel consumption per ton-km is also less, decreasing overall logistics expenses. One Litre of fuel moves twenty-four tonnes on road, ninety-five tonnes on rail, and two hundred fifteen tonnes on Inland Water Transport (for a kilometer).
(ii) Reducing Pressure on Rail and Road Networks: India’s railways and highways are out beyond capacity. So, delays and inefficiencies are more frequent. Inland Water Transport can aid existing transport modes, ameliorating cargo movement efficiency.
(iii) Environmentally Sustainable: Inland Water Transport generates lower carbon emissions, enabling ita an ecofriendly mode of transport. Diminish traffic congestion and air pollution in urban areas.
Challenges in Inland Waterways in India
(i) Inadequate Depth and Navigability Issues: Mostly India’s waterways have insufficient depth, making them unsuitable for larger vessels. Seasonal siltation in rivers like the Ganga and the Brahmaputra makes shoals, constraining year-round navigation. Maintenance dredging is compulsory every year, but it remains inadequate, affecting consistent cargo movement negatively. Seasonal nature of Peninsular rivers.
(ii) Infrastructure Deficiencies: Devoid of modern terminals, night navigation aids, and vessel repair facilities. India has very less functional intermodal terminals (e.g., Haldia, Sahibganj, Varanasi), restricting connectivity. The absence of night navigation systems hampers efficient operations.
(iii) Environmental and Geo-Political Challenges: Rivers suffer ecological threats like pollution and reduced water flows. Cross-border routes via Bangladesh (Indo-Bangladesh Protocol) suffer delays due to operational challenges. Energy efficiency of waterways gets hit by higher turnaround times along international routes.
Government Initiatives
(a) The Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985
(b) The Indian Vessels Act of 1917 (as revised in 2007)
(c) Inland Water Transport Policy 2001
(d) Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)
(e) Project Arth Ganga
(f) The National Waterways Act of 2016
(f) Inland Vessels Bill 2021
(g) Sagarmala Project
(h) River Interlinking Program
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Way Forward
(i) Cargo and Passenger Movement: Integrate inland waterways with economic zones like PM MITRA parks and Mega Food Parks to boost cargo movement. Develop cruise tourism to encourage passenger transport via the Cruise Bharat Mission. Foster cargo movement under the Jalvahak Scheme with incentives and fixed scheduled services on important National Waterways.
(ii) Financial & Policy Support: Create Inland Waterways Development Funds, enhance waterway-related infrastructure, and preserve traditional navigation practices through the Riverine Community Development Scheme.
(iii) Public-Private Partnership: Attract private investment in terminal development, vessel manufacturing, and cargo handling by providing financial incentives and tax benefits.
(iv) Sustainable Development: Adopting green vessels and sustainable dredging techniques is crucial for eco-friendly inland waterway development. All this will curb pollution, preserve aquatic ecosystems, and enable long-term navigability while keeping environmental balance intact
Conclusion
India’s inland waterways can become a critical pillar of sustainable transport, decreasing logistics costs and environmental impact, with relentless policy support and technological upgradation. By expanding waterway connectivity, tourism, and economic routes, the initiative is in line with India’s broader Blue Economy vision.