Lok Sabha Question No. 152 (STARRED), answered on 2019-11-28
Subject: Development of Inland Waterways
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: Bharti Pravin Pawar, Darshana Vikram Jardosh

.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.-1 52

TO BE ANSWERD ON 28I NOVEMBER, 2019

## DEVELOPMENT OF INLAND WATERWAYS

- -152,  DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR: SHRIMATI DARSHANA  VIKRAIV  JARDOSH:

Will the Minister of SHIPPING be pleased  to state: .n-dqfts{q-rfi

- (a) whether the Government  proposes  to develop  inland waterways  for cargo movement and shipping transport;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the measures  taken in this regard, State-wise;
- (c) the names of National Waterways  in the country and the development  activities undertaken thereon;
- (d) the details of current  services and proposed  services like cruise,  Ro-Ro Ferry, Ro-Pax Ferry, inland  cargo shipping, etc; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to include new inland wateruays and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR SFIIPPING (SHRI MANSUKH IJIANDAVIYA)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

(a)  to (c) Yes' Slr. To promote  inland water  transport  in the country  as an economical,  environment frjendly supplementary  mode of transport  to rail and road, 111inland  waterways (jncluding  5 National wateMays  declared earlier) were declared  as 'National  waterways' under the Na onal waterways Act' 20'16 as per  details at Annex.-1  . The details of works initiated on national waterways  are as given below.

National  waterway (NW)-1  (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly  river system from Allahabad  to Haldja),  NW-2 (River Brahmaputra  from Dhubri to Sadiya),  NW-3 (west coast canal from Kottapuram  to Kollarn along  wlth Udyogmandal  and champakara  canals) have been developed with fairway navigational aids'  letties  and terminals  with mechanized  equipment  handling  facilities  for loading  and unloading  of cargo These NWs are operationar  and vessers  are prying  on them. rn addition, NW-10 (River Amba), NW-68 (River  Mandovi),  NW-73 (River  Narmada), NW-83 (Rajpuri  creek), NW-85 (Revadanda creek-Kundalika  River System),  NW-91  (shastri  river-Jaigad creek system),  NW-97 (Sunderbans Watemays),  NW-i0O (River  Tapi) and NW-1 11 (River  Zuari) are also operational.

The Jal Marg Vikas  Project (JMVP)  is being implemented  at an estimated  cost of Rs. 5369.1g crore for capacity  augmentation  of navigation  on the Haldia-varanasi  stretch of NW-1 with the technical and financial  assistance  of the worrd  Bank.  projects  wo(h Rs. 1g00 crore (approx.)  have commenced  on ground in a time period  of three years  after statutory clearances.

FaiMay development  works on the vijayawada-Muktyala  stretch  of rjver Krrshna (part  of NW-4)  has commenced  at a cost of Rs. 96 crore.

Based on the outcome  of techno-economic  feasibirity  and Detaired  pro.iect  Reports (DpRs) prepared for 106 new NWs, technicar  interventions  have  been pranned  for safe navigation  and shipping on technica'y viabre NWs  by the rnrand  waterways  Authorty  of rndia (rwAr). As per  the DpRs completed  so far for the new NWs, 36 NWs have been found to be technically  viable  and development actrvities  have  been rnitiated  on 10 NWs viz. NW-g, NW-16, NW-27,  NW^37, NW-40,  NW\_58, NW\_68, NW-86,  NW-97 and NW\_1 11

- (d) under the rnrand  waterways  Authority  of rndia  Act, 1985,  rwAr is mandated  for reguration  and development  of inrand  waterways  for the purpose  of shipprng  and navigation.  rn pursuit  of this objective' interventions  are carried out by lwAl to facilitate  cargo movement  on National  waterways  as per  feasibility  study and Detaired  pro.rect  Report  (DpR). Besides,  it arso deverops  jnfrastructure facilities  for Ro-Ro,  Ro-Pax  and river cruise across National  wateMays,  the details of which are at Annex-2.
- (e) No such proposal  is under  consideration.

## Annex-1

## List of 11 1 National  Waterwavs  under the National Watenaravs Act, 2016 enforced on 12.04.20161

| National Waterway No.       | Length (km)   | Details of Waterways                                                                                                     | STATES                                                                         |
|-----------------------------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| National Waterway '1        | 1620          | Gans--Bhisirath i-Hooshlt Rlvt fl-tetQle : 41t q qbqd),                                                                  | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, {lqru_e1Q Q_ryg_q!_B e n s a                             |
| National Waterway 2         | 891           | -s-yg!_en lr Brahmaputra River (Dhubri - Sadiya                                                                          | Assam                                                                          |
| National Waterway 3         | 205           | West Coast Canat G;ttaptdm Kollam), Champakara and !l{v-o_wel{al_Q_q!els                                                 |                                                                                |
| National Waterway 3         | 170           | West Coast Canal (Kottapuram Ko4!1ko{Q --                                                                                |                                                                                |
| National Waterway 4         | 50            | Kakinada Canal lfatinaOa to -8eialqqn{y)                                                                                 | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 171           | Godavari river (BhidiicniLam                                                                                             | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 139           | Vueyerytod - Canal (Rajahmunait to                                                                                       | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 157           | Krishna river @-iiiaUJO ro'. Vi1-ayayvad-a)                                                                              | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 113           | Commamur Canal Mujvawioa to P.e-Qdaganja1n)                                                                              | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 3'16          | North Buckingham Crnri (Peddaganjam to Central Statron 9l c-heltnaLL _                                                   | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 110           | South Buckingham canil (Cenfiii Station of Chennai to Mqlgkqnam)                                                         | Maharashtra                                                                    |
| National Waterway 4         | 22            | Marakanam to Puducherry t h g.lt_ k                                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | 1202          | River Godavari (Bhadrachalam - rq I |al_v 1drle rr J.JaS|rtk)                                                  | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| National Waterway 4         | oJb           | River Krishna (Wazirabad - Galgsql!)                                                                                     | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and |
| NationalWaterway 5          | 256           | East Coast Canal and Matai river                                                                                         | Odisha and West Bengal                                                         |
| NationalWaterway 5          | 265           | Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra rivers                                                                                           | Odisha and West Bengal                                                         |
| NationalWaterway 5          | 67            | Hrt a na n ao ioerta rversaCft | stm g of Hansua river, Nunanala, Gobrinala, Kharnasi river and Mah4a!! 1y_e_[ ___- | Odisha and West Bengal                                                         |
| NationalWaterwa             |               | _4q1Rryer__                                                                                                              | Assam                                                                          |
| NationalWaterwa             |               | Aioy (Aiay) Rjvel-__                                                                                                     | West Beng1|__ _ _                                                         |
| NationalWateruiray 8        | 29            | Alappuzha- Changanassery Canal                                                                                           | Kerala                                                                         |
| NationalWaterway 9          | 40            | Alappuzha- Kottayam -                                                                                                    | Kerala                                                                         |
| N a t i c!_e!_Wq!9lU/a yJ 0 |               |                                                                                                                          | $l!91n9!e_1o.slq.l _1 9!q Maharashtra                                          |
| National W                  |               | Arunawati - Aran River                                                                                                   | Marnriiniia-                                                                   |
| NationalWaterway 12         | 5.5           | Asi River                                                                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                                  |
| National Waterway '13       |               | Avm Canal                                                                                                                | Keraa&Tamil Nadu                                                               |

| st. No.   | National Waterway No.                | Length (km)          | De tails of Waterways                      | STATES                     |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| 14        | NationalWaterway 14                  | 48                   | Baitarni R tver                            | Odisha                     |
| 15        | National Waterway 15                 | 135                  | Bakreswar sy_9!_qtn_ ; - MatijHk;fir Rrver | West Bengal                |
| 16        | NationalWaterway 16                  | 121                  | Barak Rive                                 | Assam                      |
| 17        | National Waterway 17                 | 189                  | Beas Rive                                  | Himachal Pradesh &         |
| 18        | llgti.lgl Waterway 1B                | b9                   | Beki River                                 | iab Assam                  |
| 1e_       | National Waterway i 9                | 67                   | Betwa River                                | Uttar Pradesh              |
| 20        | NatronalWaterway 20                  | 95                   | ver                                        | Tamil Nadu                 |
| zt        | liliorylw?!{ilay ?l                  | Iqe                  |                                            | Karnataka & Telangana      |
| 22        | National Waterway 22                 | 156                  | BadiGenguti arirrmini                      | Odisha                     |
| ZJ        | l!q_t,"11t-\{{er1ryav-?s             | 56                   | y_gtel! langa                              | Odisha                     |
| 24        | Jitalioryt waterwaf ii               | ot                   | Chambal River                              | Uttar Pradesh              |
| 25        | !ulrql31[Fle!{ey_?q                  | 33                   | Chapora River                              | Goa                        |
| 26        | lqtlonal Watenruay 26                | 51                   | ver                                        | Jammu & Kashmir            |
| 27        | NationalWaterway 27                  | 17                   | c911be!y1 River                            | Goa                        |
| 28        | NationalWaterway 28                  | 45                   | Dabhol Cre                                 | Maharashtra                |
| 29        | NationalWaterway 29                  | 132                  | -s_ygt_ery Damodar R tver                  | West Rpnnal                |
| 30        | lglg@waterway 30                     | 109                  | Dehing Rivt River                          | Aqqam                      |
| 31        | lslqtil_W=t-qrysv 31                 |                      | t                                          | Assam                      |
| 32        | National Waterway 32                 | 114 63               | Plcrynl Dikhu River hathe                  | Assam                      |
| 33        | NationalWatenvay 33                  | -61 -                | Doyans Rivc                                | Assam                      |
| 34        | NationalWatenvay 34                  | - 13?                | PYacfur                                    | West Bengal                |
| _!q       | Ilgt,orylWaterway 35                 | 108                  | Dwarekeswz eswar River                     | West Bengal                |
| 36        | NationalWaterway 36                  | 119                  | Dwarka Ri                                  | West Beng?]                |
| JI        | NationalWaterway 37                  | _agl_                | Gandak Rir                                 | _ _ Bihar & Uttar Pradesh  |
| 38        | lgtlq_ELwaterway 3B                  | 62                   | Ganqadhar River                            | Ad"; & w"Ja"rgJ            |
| 39        | National Waterway 39                 | 49                   | Ganol River                                | Meghalaya                  |
| I         | leloryluvgtgfef{Q                    | 354 I _____.1        | Ghaghra Rir                                | glQ!_t_!a r ra d e s h     |
| 41        | National Waterway 41                 | 112                  | 9!elep,.e!! I bha River                    | _Q,! _P Karnataka          |
| 42        | NationalWaterway 42                  | 514 | ___-+     | Gomti River                                | Uttar Pradesh              |
| 43-       | !.t,olglry9t_ej{?y 19                | 10 I                 | Gurupur Riv                                | Karnataka                  |
| 44        | \{9!ql Waterway 44                   | ---,-__-_._--J- 63 I | leEr4ry                                    | West Bengal                |
| 45        | National Waterway 45                 | 650                  | ndira Gandl ndhi Canal                     | Punjab , Haryana           |
| 46        | llgti"!glWaterway 46                 | 35                   | ndus River                                 | &Rajashtan Jammu & Kashmir |
| 47        | National Waterway 47                 | t9l                  | ,lalangi River                             | West Bengal                |
| 4B        | National Waterway 4g                 | 590                  | lawai-[uni-n Kutch River                   | Gujarat & Rajasthan        |
| 49        | lg&IglWateruruay 49                  | 110                  | helum Rive                                 | Jammu & Kashmir            |
| 50        | NationalWaterway 50                  | 11                   | ry[9[!ye                                   | 1\ssam & Meghataya         |
| 51 52     | NationalWaterway 51 NationalWaterway | 23                   | abini Rivar nir"i--                        | Karnataka                  |

| st. No.   | National Waterway No.   | Length (km)   | Details of Waterways                                                          | STATES                                     |
|-----------|-------------------------|---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| A2        | NationalWaterway 53     | 145           | kaiyl Water Ulhas kaiyln-hane-MumUai erway, Vasai Creek And ts_Bry_tsy:!e]I._ | Maharashtra                                |
| 54        | NationalWaterway 54     | 86            | Kara amnasa River                                                             | Bihar & Uttar Pradesh                      |
| 6q        | NationalWateruray 55    | 311           | Kaveri River System                                                           | Tamil Nadu                                 |
| 56        | NationalWaterway 56     | 22            | Kherka                                                                        | Jh;arkhand                                 |
| 57        | NationalWaterway 57     | 50            | Kopili F                                                                      | Assam                                      |
| 58        | National Waterway 58    | 236           | kori ni                                                                       | Bihar                                      |
| AO        | NationalWatenvay 59     | 19            | Kottay am-Vaikom Canal                                                        | Kerala                                     |
| 60        | NationalWaterway 60     | 80            | Kumari River                                                                  | West Bengal                                |
| 61        | National Waterway 61    | ?9_           | Kynshi River                                                                  | Meghalaya                                  |
| 62        | NationalWaterway 62     | B6            | Lohit F River                                                                 | Assam & Arunachal lradesh                  |
| bJ        | NationalWaterway 63     | 336           | Luni R                                                                        | Ralasthan                                  |
| 64        | NationalWaterway 64     | 426           | Mahan adi River                                                               | Od sha                                     |
| 65        | NationalWaterway 65     | _80           | M ahananda River                                                              | Wq:l sury{_                                |
| bb        | NationalWaterway 66     | - 247         | Mahi R                                                                        |                                            |
| 67        | NationalWaterway 67     | _ _e3 ___     | Ma River                                                                      | Q,ulargt Karnataka                         |
| 68        | National Waterway 68    | 41            | Mando                                                                         | Goa                                        |
| 69        | NationalWaterway 6g     | 5             | Manim utharu River                                                            | Tarrrl Nadu                                |
| 70        | NationalWatenruay 70    | 245           | 11"d.f a River                                                                | Maharashtra & Telangana                    |
| 71        | NationalWaterway 71     | 27            | Magys, a / Moide River                                                        | Goa                                        |
| 72        | NationalWaterway 72     | AO            | R1 ver                                                                        | Maharashtra                                |
| 73        | NationalWaterway 73     | 226           | -Ngo Narmar rmada River                                                       | Maharashtra &Gujarat                       |
| 74        | NationalWaterway 74     | 70            | Netrava thi Rrver                                                             | Karnataka                                  |
| 75        | NationalWaterway 75     | 142           | Palar Ri                                                                      | Tamil Nadu                                 |
| 76        | NationalWaterway 76     | 23            | Pancha (Panchi rnchagangavali ?!elrae_q!-eqtL8iy_er                           | Karnataka                                  |
| 77        | National Waterway 77    | 20            | Pazhya 'ar River                                                              | Tanril Nadu                                |
| 78        | National Waterway 78    | 262           | Pengan Svstem in;se:Mrdha River                                               | Maharashtra & Telangana                    |
| 79        | NationalWaterway 79     | 28            | Pennar River                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                             |
| 8o        | National Waterway B0    | 126           | I Ponniya r River                                                             | Tamil Nadu                                 |
| 8,1       | National Waterway B1    | ts--l         | Punpun River                                                                  | Bihar                                      |
| 82        | NationalWaterway 82     | 58            | lyit i, imari River                                                           | Assam                                      |
| B3        | NationalWaterway 83     | 31            | RaiPuri Creek                                                                 | Maharashtra                                |
| 84        | NationalWaterway 84     | 44            | Ravi i River                                                                  | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Puniab |
| 85        | NationalWaterway 85     | 31            | Revada River S ;A;;da CEJri --x, noa I ri;- _ntygl ty$gnn                     | Mah;arashtra                               |
| B6        | National Waterway BO    | 72            | [yn-nqt. Rupnarayan Rrver                                                     | we.i ilrsrt                                |
| 87        | NationalWaterway 87     | 210           | Sabarnr barmati River                                                         | Gujarat                                    |
| oo UU     | NationalWaterway BB     | 14            | 9cLlry-u                                                                      | Goa                                        |
| 89        | NationalWaterway B9     | 45            | Savitri R                                                                     | Maharashtra                                |

| st. No.   | National Waterway No.                     | ti#ln                         | j oetarts or Waterways                                                                                                                                                                                                   | STATES                                                                       |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 90        | NationalWaterway 90                       | 29                            | | Sharavati River                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Karnataka                                                                    |
| 91        | NationalWaterway 91                       | r^ cz                         | I Shastri River - J I svstem                                                                                                                                                                                             | Maharashtra                                                                  |
| 92        | NationalWaterway g2                       | 26                            | I Silabati River                                                                                                                                                                                                         | West                                                                         |
| 93        | NationalWaterway g3                       | 63                            | I Simsanq River                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Meghalaya                                                                    |
| 94        | NationalWaterway 94                       | 141                           | I Sone River                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Bihar                                                                        |
| 95        | NationalWaterway 95                       | -_-- -,,-l- 106               | | Subansiri River                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Assam                                                                        |
| 96        | NationalWaterway g6                       | 311                           | | Subarnrekha R River                                                                                                                                                                                               | Jharkhand, West Odisha                                                       |
| 97        | NationalWaterway                          | 172 -l- 56 - .,o              | I Sunderbans Wate Bidya River Watenrruay                                                                                                                                                                                 | West Bengal West Bengal Benoal                                               |
|           | 97                                        | _ _ 7_ 16 37 9 22 99 28 53 14 | | -l Crrnotaxitag-achi _!,Clrtro!9(a!grggct ]_Gomai_Riyqt __ 1 Haribhangq Ri_v_91 L_Hogla (Hos?!);Pa, I Kalindr (KglanQ!) r i Katakhali River I wtaila River J Mul canga 6a1a j Raimangal River !-elgtgec,hr) River | West Bengal West Benoal Wes! Belgal - West Benoal West West Ber West         |
| 9B        | NationalWaterway 98 Nationql WaterwAy__gg | 377 62 - ---T                 | Sutte1 niver | | Vaigai River I I Varuna River -l mrns;ns; - p I River Svstem                                                                                                                                  | Himachal Pradesh & Meghalaya Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Maharashtra &Telangana |
| lq 100    | |                                    | | 436 |             | I Tamaraparani RTv - TaRi River _ ,,*rnn fOrrareswe leswari River)                                                                                                                                                       | 4rvrc!_ Tamil Nadu                                                           |
| 10'1      | National Waterway 100 107 National        | 87                            | | l                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Pradesh                                                                      |
|           | National Waterway 101                     |                               | ],,.,-zrnst J_ __                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                        |
| 102       | ftlatO-nat WatenruaV 102                  | 42                            | inir"                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Assam & Mizoram                                                              |
| '103      | National Waterway 103                     |                               | |                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                              |
|           | National Waterway 104                     | 73                            | Tons River                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Uttar Pradesh                                                                |
| 104       |                                           | 232                           | | Tungabhadra Rir                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Karnataka, Telangana _Al9nie.?le9q:tl                                        |
| 105 106   | National Waterway '105                    | --1 15                        | | Udayavara River                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Karnataka                                                                    |
| 107       | National Waterway 106 National Waterway   | 20 46                         | Umngot (Dawki)                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                              |
| 108 109   | Waterway 108 National Waterway 109        | 53 i66                        | P-ranahlE-                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                              |
| 110       | National Waterway '1 10                   | 1080                          | I Yamuna River                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Delhi, Haryana & Uttar                                                       |
|           | National Watenruay                        |                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                              |
| 111       | 111                                       | I                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Goa                                                                          |
|           |                                           | 50 i                          | Zuan River                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                              |

\_\_l

i

## Details  of Ro-Ro and river cruise  facilities bv lWAl

1. National  Waterway-3  (West Coast Canal  in Kerala):  Two terminals  viz., Bolghatty  & Willingdon island developed  in Cochin Port Trust limit for container  traffic through Ro-Ro/  Lo-Lo servrce. This Ro-Ro service  of 3.5 km can save  '18  km congested  roads travel for container  trucks through Kochi city limits.

## 2. National Waterway-2 (River  Brahmaputra  in Assam) :

- (Hatsingimari)  on river Brahmaputra. The Ro-Ro service has created a direct link between  Assam and Meghalaya  enabling trucks/ vehicle to avoid circuitous road route of approx. 220 km through Jogighopa Bridge.
- (i) Ro-Ro terminals for providing  connectivity  between  north bank (Dhubri)  and south bank
- (ii) Ro-Ro  service between Guwahati  and North-Guwahati.
- (iii)  lnfrastructure  facilities for Ro-Ro service has also been  provided  w.e f . October, 2018 between Neamati  to Kamlabari  to provide  connectivity  from Neamati  to Maluli (island)
3. National  waterway-4  (River  Godavari, Krishna & Buckingham  canals in Andhra  pradesh  & Tamil Nadu):  Under Phase-1 development, infrastructure provided  for Ro-Ro  Services between lbrahimpatnam  & Lingayapalam,  for transportation  of cor'rstruction  materials  on NW-4  (river  Krishna). Land acquisition commenced for  04  permanent Ro-Ro terminals at  lbrahimpatnam, H  arischandrapuram, Muktyala and Madipadu.
4. Ro-Ro lnfrastructure  on National  Waterway  No.-1  (Ga nga-Bhag irathi-Hoog h ly river system) : lnterventions to be undertaken  in Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) include, five pairs of Ro-Ro terminals at Rajmahal  (Jharkhand)  - Manikchak  (West Bengal), Samdaghat  (Jharkhand)-Manihari (Biha0, Kahalgaon-Tintangha (Biha0, Hasnapur-Bakhtiyarpur  (Bihar), Buxer (Bihar)-saraikota  (Uttar Pradesh).
5. River cruise services on National  Waterways  and IBP route: River cruise/ tourism has been a regular  feature  on National WateMay (NW)-l (Ganga-Bhagirath  i-Hooghly river system)  and NW-2 (river Brahmaputra) since last many years. Various cruise operators  viz., lM/s Heritage  River Cruises Pvt. Ltd., M/s Vivada lnland Waterways and M/s Assam Bengal Navigation  Company operate  their cruise vessels  on NW-1, NW-2 and Sunderbans  waterways.

Further,  to promote  river tourism, a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) and Standard Operating  Procedure (SOP) on  "Passenger  and Cruise  Services  on the Coastal and Protocol  Routes" have been signed on 08.04.2017  and 25.10.2018 respectively.  Accordingly,  river cruise  vessels can ply on NW-1 lndo Bangladesh Protocol routes (lBP) via Sundarbans (NW-97)  - NW-2 routes from Kolkata to Silghat and on NW-1-lBP via Sundarbans  (NW,97) - NW-16 from Kolkata  to Karimganl. Bilateral  cruise operation  commenced  in March-April, 2019. Four river cruise operations  have successfully  taken  place  till now in Kolkata-Dhaka-G  uwahati stretch through IBP routes.