India targets 76 operational waterways by 2027, eyes 156 MTPA cargo surge: Sonowal

New Delhi: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, on Monday chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Inland Waterways Transport in Mumbai, unveiling an ambitious roadmap to expand India’s inland waterways infrastructure. The plan includes making 76 waterways operational by 2027 and achieving an incremental cargo growth of 156 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by FY 2026, aligning with the Maritime India Vision 2030.

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The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency under the Ministry, presented a comprehensive review of ongoing projects, future projections, and policy directions. Members of Parliament present at the meeting appreciated the sector’s progress and supported enhanced budgetary allocations to accelerate its growth.

By FY 2027, the footprint of inland water transport is expected to expand from 11 states in FY 2024 to 23 states and 4 Union Territories. To fuel this growth, projects worth Rs 1,400 crore were either launched or announced during the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting on January 10, 2025. IWAI is currently conducting 10,000 km of monthly longitudinal surveys to assess Least Available Depth (LAD) for better navigability.

“Inland waterways are emerging as a watershed moment in India’s transport and logistics ecosystem,” said Minister Sonowal. He highlighted key legislative and programmatic initiatives such as the National Waterways Act, 2016, the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, and flagship schemes like the Jal Marg Vikas Project, Arth Ganga, and Jal Samriddhi, which are driving the sector’s transformation.

A major thrust is being laid on the Regional Waterways Grid to facilitate seamless vessel movement along key corridors. One of the marquee initiatives includes the development of a 4,067 km economic corridor from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route. The cargo potential along this corridor is projected at 32.2 MMTPA by 2033.

On NW-1 (Ganga), a 1,390-km waterway is being upgraded to accommodate 1,500–2,000 DWT vessels. Major cargo terminals at Varanasi, Kalughat, Sahibganj, and Haldia are under development to support operations.

In the Northeast, a Rs 5,000 crore roadmap over five years has been proposed. Key projects on NW-2 (Brahmaputra) include permanent terminals at Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu, and Bogibeel, along with a Rs 208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu and a Rs 180 crore road connectivity project. NW-16 (Barak) and NW-31 (Dhansiri) are also being developed to support regional logistics, particularly for Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL).

Minister Sonowal reiterated the government's focus on green and sustainable transport. Under the Harit Nauka guidelines, IWAI is procuring electric catamarans and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessels. Urban water transport is also set to receive a boost through water metro projects, while eco-friendly cruise tourism is being promoted.

India’s river cruise tourism sector has expanded rapidly, with 15 circuits now operational across 13 National Waterways in nine states. Luxury cruise vessels have increased from three in 2013-14 to 25 in 2024-25. To further this momentum, 51 additional cruise circuits on 47 NWs are being planned by 2027. Three world-class river cruise terminals are in various stages of development, with construction ongoing in Kolkata and feasibility studies for Varanasi and Guwahati being undertaken by IIT Madras.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shantanu Thakur, highlighted efforts to enhance cruise tourism through strategic partnerships and MoUs with private enterprises. “We are expanding cruise operations across the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, and other rivers, promoting tourism while enabling regional economic development,” he said.

The meeting was attended by several Members of Parliament including Shatrughan Prasad Sinha, Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Hibi Eden, MK Raghavan, Naba Charan Majhi, Abhimanyu Sethi, and Seema Dwivedi. The committee also reviewed the progress of inland waterway projects in states such as Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

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