Inland Vessel Bill 2021

Inland Vessel Bill 2021

Subject: Geography

Context: The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 replaces the Inland Vessels Act, 1917. It seeks to bring all inland waterways in India and movement of vessels on them for any purpose under a central regulatory regime.

National Waterways

• In 2016, the government notified 111 inland waterways as National Waterways of India under the National Waterways Act, 2016. Of these, 13 National Waterways are operational for shipping and navigation and cargo/passenger vessels are moving on them, according to the government.

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India under the Ministry of Shipping is developing the National Waterways for commercial navigation, including with assistance from the World Bank.
• National Waterways 1 or NW1
  • It starts from Allahabad (Prayagraj) to Haldia with a distance of 1620 km.
  • The NW 1 runs through the Ganges, Bhagirathi, and Hooghly river system.
  • It is the longest National Waterway in India.

• National Waterways 2
  • It is a stretch on the Brahmaputra River from Sadia to Dhubri in Assam state.
  • The NW 2 is one of the major freight transportation waterways of northeast India and the third-longest Waterways with a total length of 891 km.

• National waterways 3 or the West Coast Canal
  • It is located in Kerala state and runs from Kollam to Kottapuram.
  • The 205 km long West Coast Canal is India’s first waterway with an all-time navigation facility.

• National Waterway 4
  • It is connected from Kakinada to Pondicherry through Canals, Tank, and River Godavari along with Krishna river.
  • The NW 4 the second-longest waterway of India with a total length of 1095 km in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

• National Waterway 5
  • It connects Orissa to West Bengal using the stretch on Brahmani River, East Coast Canal, Matai river, and Mahanadi River Delta.
  • The 623 km long canal system will handle the traffic of cargo such as coal, fertilizer, cement, and iron.

• National waterway 6
  • It is the proposed waterway in Assam state and will connect Lakhipur to Bhanga in river Barak.
  • The 121 km long waterway will help in trading between the town of Silchar to Mizoram State.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) 

• It was constituted in October 1986, for the development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
• The Authority undertakes various infrastructure development works on national waterways.
• It also carries out feasibility studies and prepares proposals for declaration of other waterways as National Waterways.
• It also assists States in development of the IWT sector and provides subsidies to IWT operators for acquiring IWT fleet for transportation of cargo and passengers.
• Its headquarters is located in Noida, UP.