Bisheshwar Mishra
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal recently outlined that over ₹6,000 crores have been invested in India’s inland waterways sector since 2014, a monumental increase compared to ₹1,620 crores invested in the previous 28 years since the establishment of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in 1986.
Sonowal highlighted that the number of National Waterways (NW) has expanded from five in 2014 to 111 currently. These developments have enhanced the waterways into a reliable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly mode of cargo and passenger transport.
Cargo traffic on inland waterways increased dramatically from 18.07 million metric tons (MMT) in 2013-14 to 132.89 MMT in 2023-24, reflecting an annual growth rate of 22.1%.
Key projects under development include advanced terminals, dredging for navigable depth, night navigation, and better connectivity, particularly in the Northeast. Facilities such as the Jogighopa multimodal terminal and Sonamura terminal aim to support regional trade, eco-tourism, and integration with national networks.
With plans to achieve 200 MMT cargo transportation by 2030 and 500 MMT by 2047, the government aims to position India’s waterways as a vital link in its sustainable economic growth strategy.