The number of tourists using national waterways for transport in the country was 33.16 lakhs in the year 2019-20, which has reached 1.61 crores by the end of 2023-24 with a tremendous jump in just 5 years. Not only this, the amount of goods transported from the waterway during this period has also increased from 73.64 million tonnes (MT) to 133.03 MT.
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal gave information in Rajya Sabha
Union Port, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question asked by Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani. According to the minister’s answer, 29 National Waterways (NW) are currently employed in the country, out of which four waterways- Narmada River (NW-73), Tapi River (NW-100), Jawai-Luni-Ran-Kachch River (NW-48) and Sabarmati River (NW-87) are located in Gujarat.
The government has taken these steps to promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) in the country.
- A plan has been approved by the goods owners to encourage the use of inland waterways transport and to provide 35% incentives to set up scheduled services for the movement of goods on National Waterways-1 and National Waterway-2 and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol National Waterway-16.
- The National Waterway (Construction of Jetty/Terminals) Regulations 2025 is notified, providing a clear regulatory structure to attract private sector investment and allows private companies to invest and operate inland waterways infrastructure, which will boost the development of the inland waterways.
- To transfer the movement of goods to waterways, more than 140 public sector corporations have been urged to use inland waterways to transport goods. They have been requested to emphasize the current status of the movement of goods through the waterway and throw light on the plan for the movement of goods.
- Fairway maintenance functions (river training, maintenance dreging, channel marking and regular hydrographic survey) are being done in various national waterways (NW).
- Construction of construction of 49 community jetty, 20 floating terminals, 3 multi-model terminals (MMT) and 1 inter-model terminal have been started on NW-1 (Ganga River), in addition to 5 permanent terminals already existing.
- Whereas 9 permanent inland waterways terminals and 2 Ro-ro/ro-pax terminals have been constructed on the NW-3 (Ganga River) (the west coast canal in Kerala).
- Parimal Nathwani sought to know from the Union Minister how many items have been carried out every year through waterways during the last five years and what steps the government has taken to promote the development of waterways for goods and passenger transport.
The post increase in the number of tourists using national waterways, the first appeared on the 1 crore mark appeared on News India Live | Breaking India News, The Indian Headline, India Express News, Fast India News.
