Inland Water Ways

Subject: Economy

Context:

The Shipping Ministry attempts to privatise the multi-modal cargo terminals at Varanasi, Haldia and Sahibganj on National Waterway 1 on equip-operate-transfer model

Concept:

IWAI

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) came into existence on 27th October 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
• The Authority primarily undertakes projects for development and maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national waterways through grant received from Ministry of Shipping.

Functions

• National Waterways: Survey, Navigation, Infrastructure and Regulations, Fairway Development, Pilotage and Coordination of IWT with other modes
• General: Advise Central Government, Carry out hydrographic surveys, Assist State Governments, Develop consultancy services, Research & Development, Classification of waterways and Standards & safety

National inland water ways:

• India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which comprise of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, etc.
• About 55 million tones of cargo is being moved annually by Inland Water Transport (IWT), a fuel – efficient and environment -friendly mode.
• Its operations are currently restricted to a few stretches in the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai and the deltaic regions of the Godavari – Krishna rivers.
• To promote inland water transport in the country as an economical, environment friendly supplementary mode of transport to rail and road, 111 inland waterways (including 5 National Waterways declared earlier) were declared as ‘National Waterways’ under the National Waterways Act, 2016.