Inland Vessel Bill 2021
- August 11, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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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.