Shri Sarbananda Sonowal to chair the First Inland Waterways Development Council Meeting to be held tomorrow in Kolkata

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal to chair the First Inland Waterways Development Council Meeting to be held tomorrow in Kolkata

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian Physical geography

Context:

• Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal chaired  the first Inland Waterways Development Council(IWDC) Meeting in Kolkata on 8th Jan 2024, Monday.

More on news:

• ‘Harit Nauka’ Guidelines along with the ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047’ is to be launched.
• IWDC’s first meeting features a packed agenda addressing crucial issues in the development of inland waterways in India
• The day-long meeting on board the vessel MV Ganga Queen,will bring together key figures from across the waterways, states and central government.
• Upcoming projects include the establishment of the Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology at IIT Kharagpur.
• The anti-erosion work on the left bank of the river Hooghly/Bhagirathi Block & P.S. Kalyani Nadia district.
• The Ministry has set a bold objective to elevate the modal share of Inland Water Transportation (IWT) from the current 2% to 5%, aligning with  Maritime India Vision 2030.
• Adhering to the objectives of Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 ,  the ministry aims to substantially increase the existing IWT cargo volume from approximately 120 MTPA to over 500 MTPA.

Elements of IWDC meet:

• The meeting will encompass topics such as
  • fairway development, 
  • private sector engagement and best practices, 
  • optimizing cargo transport efficiency in Inland Water Transport (IWT), 
  • fostering the promotion and development of eco-friendly vessels for passenger transportation, exploring the economic advantages of river cruise tourism, and 
  • emphasizing sustainable practices.

About Inland Waterways Authority of India (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 grants received from the Ministry of Shipping.
• The head office of the Authority is at Noida. 

About Inland Waterways in India:

• India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which consist of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, etc.
• As per The National Waterways Act, 2016, there are 111 officially notified Inland National Waterways (NWs) in India identified for the purposes of inland water transport.

About MV Ganga Vilas:

• MV Ganga Vilas is the world’s longest Motor Vessel (MV) river cruise.
• It was launched  by the Prime minister of India Narendra Modi on 13 January 2023.
• It will travel from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to around 3,200 km in 51 days to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, passing through 27 river systems.
• The MV Ganga Vilas cruise itinerary includes World Heritage Sites, National Parks, and River Ghats to key cities such as Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam. 

About Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology (CICMT):

• The Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology (CICMT) at IIT Kharagpur is set-up with a total budget of Rs. 69.2 crores.
• Its aim is to provide technological support, research and development, testing and experimentation facilities to the Ministry of Shipping and its subordinate offices.

Maritime India Vision(MIV) 2030:

• Maritime India Vision 2030 is a ten-year blueprint for the development of India’s maritime sector. 
• It was released in November 2020 by Prime Minister Modi at the Maritime India Summit. 
• The vision aims to boost waterways, give a fillip to the shipbuilding industry, and encourage cruise tourism in India.
• MIV 2030 outlines 10 key themes which are essential for India to secure its place at the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector. 
• They are as follows:
  • Develop best-in-class Port infrastructure
  • Drive E2E Logistics Efficiency and Cost Competitiveness
  • Enhance Logistics Efficiency through Technology and Innovation
  • Strengthen Policy and Institutional Framework to Support all Stakeholders
  • Enhance Global Share in Ship Building, Repair and Recycling
  • Enhance Cargo and Passenger Movement through Inland Waterways
  • Promote Ocean, Coastal and River Cruise Sector
  • Enhance India’s Global stature and Maritime Co-operation 
  • Enhance India’s Global stature and Maritime Co-operation 
  • Become Top Seafaring Nation with World Class Education, Research & Training