Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Mr Sarbananda Sonowal, chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Inland Waterways Transport in Mumbai this week, where it was revealed that 76 waterways are targeted to be made operational by 2027, with cargo volume expected to surge by 156 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by end of FY 2026. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency under the Ministry, presented a comprehensive review of major projects, future projections and the roadmap ahead. Members of Parliament attending the meeting acknowledged and appreciated the progress made and supported increased budgetary allocations to boost the sector's growth. The footprint of inland water transport is expected to expand significantly—from 11 states in FY 2024 to 23 states and 4 Union Territories by FY 2027. To support this growth, projects worth `1,400 crore were launched or announced during the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting held on January 10, 2025. Additionally, IWAI is conducting 10,000 km of longitudinal survey each month to assess Least Available Depth (LAD) for improved navigability. Cargo volume is likely to make an incremental growth up to 156 MTPA by March, 2026 inching closer towards the Maritime India Vision 2030 target of 200 MTPA. The Regional Waterways Grid aims to boost economic activity by ensuring seamless vessel movement from Varanasi to Dibrugarh, Karimganj and Badarpur via the IBP route, creating a 4,067 km economic corridor. A traffic study and DPR for renovating the Jangipur navigation lock are underway. The project’s cargo potential is estimated at 32.2 MMTPA by 2033. On NW 1 (Ganga), a dedicated waterway corridor spanning 1,390 km is being developed to enable seamless movement of vessels, enhancing the efficiency of inland transport. As part of this initiative, capacity augmentation of NW-1 is underway to support the navigation of 1,500-2,000 DWT vessels, alongside the creation of key cargo handling facilities at Varanasi (MMT), Kalughat (IMT), Sahibganj (MMT) and Haldia (MMT). There are major inland waterways projects in the Northeast, with a `5,000 crore roadmap planned over the next five years. On NW-2 (Brahmaputra), four permanent terminals—Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu and Bogibeel—and 13 floating terminals are supported by fairway and navigation upgrades. A `208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu and a `180 crore alternative road are set for completion by 2026 and 2025, respectively. On NW-16 (Barak), terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur are active, while NW-31 (Dhansiri) is being developed to support NRL’s expansion. The committee also reviewed the ongoing works on NW-1 (river Ganga), NW 2 (Brahmaputra) among other states like Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, highlighted a Ministry release. Source: Exim News Service: Mumbai, May 28
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