{"id":42034,"date":"2025-04-25T21:05:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=42034"},"modified":"2025-04-25T21:06:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:36:02","slug":"india-record-cargo-movement-on-inland-waterways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-04-2025\/india-record-cargo-movement-on-inland-waterways","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Record Cargo Movement on Inland Waterways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has achieved a record of <strong>over 145 million tonnes of cargo movement on inland waterways in 2024-25.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The number of National Waterways increased from<strong> 5 to 111<\/strong>, with the<strong> operational length growing from 2,716 km (2014\u201315) to 4,894 km (2023\u201324).<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Massive infrastructure development includes Multi-Modal Terminals (MMTs), Inter-Modal Terminals (IMTs), community jetties, floating terminals, and green tech like Hybrid Electric and Hydrogen Vessels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebe7c6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebe7c6;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"358\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cargo-movement-on-national-waterways.webp\" alt=\"cargo movement on national waterways\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-42035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cargo-movement-on-national-waterways.webp 358w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cargo-movement-on-national-waterways-300x298.webp 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cargo-movement-on-national-waterways-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Future Prospects:<\/strong> India aims to increase IWT modal share from 2% to 5%, and raise traffic to 200+ MMT by 2030 and 500+ MMT by 2047 under Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Inland Waterways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Inland waterways refer to<strong> navigable rivers, canals, backwaters, and creeks <\/strong>used for t<strong>ransportation of goods and passengers within a country.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has ~14,500 km of navigable waterways, but their usage is limited. 111 waterways have been declared National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Importance of Inland Waterways<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Economic Benefits: <\/strong>Lower transportation costs compared to road and rail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fuel Efficiency: <\/strong>Uses 30% less fuel than road transport and 50% less than rail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Sustainability:<\/strong> Reduces carbon emissions and congestion on roads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connectivity: <\/strong>Supports hinterland trade and rural economies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tourism &amp; Passenger Transport:<\/strong> Plays a role in ferry services and river cruises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Criteria for Declaring a National Waterway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)<\/strong> declares the National Waterway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Transport Policy Committee (1980) <\/strong>recommended the following criteria for\u00a0 <strong>National Waterway:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigable by mechanically propelled vessels of reasonable size.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Channel width of ~45 m and depth of ~1.5 m.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continuous stretch of at least 50 km.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Should serve multiple states, or connect major ports\/hinterlands, or be strategically important, or serve underserved areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)<\/strong><br>&#8211; Based on recommendations of the National Transport Policy Committee (1980), Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) was established in <strong>1986 <\/strong>under the IWAI Act, 1985.<br>&#8211; <strong>Ministry:<\/strong> Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.<br>&#8211; <strong>IWAI Functions:<\/strong><br>1. Develop and maintain infrastructure on National Waterways (NWs).<br>2. Conduct feasibility studies.<br>3. Recommend declaration of new NWs.<br>4. Advise Central Government and assist State Governments.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Inland Waterway Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seasonal water level variations affect navigation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of infrastructure (terminals, dredging, and navigation aids).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Slow adoption by industries due to underdeveloped routes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competition from road and rail transport.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Policy Measures to Boost Inland Waterways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jalvahak \u2013 Cargo Promotion Scheme:<\/strong> It was launched in 2024 and has two key components:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Financial Incentive: <\/strong>Cargo owners get a 35% reimbursement on actual operating costs for shifting cargo from road\/rail to IWT, encouraging use of waterways.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scheduled Services:<\/strong> Regular cargo services have been introduced to boost reliability and predictability.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extension of Tonnage Tax to Inland Vessels: <\/strong>It was announced in 2025 during the budget, the tonnage tax regime has been extended to inland vessels registered under the Indian Vessels Act, 2021.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Benefit:<\/strong> Provides a stable and predictable tax regime based on vessel tonnage rather than profits, thereby lowering the tax burden and encouraging broader adoption of inland shipping.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory Framework for Private Investment: <\/strong>The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties\/Terminals) Regulations, 2025 have been notified, enabling private investment in inland waterways infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Port Integration: <\/strong>\u00a0To ensure seamless multimodal logistics, the Multi-Modal Terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia, as well as the Intermodal Terminal at Kalughat, are being transferred to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata for operation and management.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This integration is expected to streamline cargo movement between ports and inland waterways.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digitisation and Centralised Database:<\/strong> A centralised portal is being developed for the registration of inland vessels and crew, similar to the &#8216;Vahan&#8217; and &#8216;Sarathi&#8217; systems used for road transport. This initiative will:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Simplify registration processes.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide real-time data on vessel and crew availability.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhance transparency and planning in the sector.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cargo Aggregation Infrastructure<\/strong>: To resolve issues related to sparse industrial presence along waterways, cargo aggregation hubs are under development:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Freight Village at Varanasi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrated Cluster-cum-Logistics Park at Sahibganj.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engagement with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs): <\/strong>More than 140 PSUs have been engaged to explore shifting a portion of their cargo to IWT.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Indian government is investing heavily in inland waterways through projects like Jal Marg Vikas (JMVP).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are being encouraged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integration of IWT with multimodal logistics hubs for seamless transport is being carried out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/enhanced-waterways-infrastructure-led-to-record-cargo-movement-in-last-fiscal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">India has achieved a record of over 145 million tonnes of cargo movement on inland waterways in 2024-25.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The number of National Waterways increased from 5 to 111, with the operational length growing from 2,716 km (2014\u201315) to 4,894 km (2023\u201324).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Massive infrastructure development includes Multi-Modal Terminals (MMTs), Inter-Modal Terminals (IMTs), community jetties, floating terminals, and green tech like Hybrid Electric and Hydrogen Vessels.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-04-2025\/india-record-cargo-movement-on-inland-waterways\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42034"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42056,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42034\/revisions\/42056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}