Lok Sabha Question No. 1303 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Water Based Transport System
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Ramesh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1303

ANSWERED ON 09.02.2024

## WATER BASED TRANSPORT SYSTEM

1303. SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps for development of inland waterways
- for cargo shipments etc.;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken for promotion of water based transport system?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a)  &  (b)Yes.For  development  of  Inland  Water  Transport  (IWT)  in  the  country,  111 waterways (including 5 existing NWs and 106 new) spread over 24 States have been declared as National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016. Action plan has been formulated for development of 26 viable NWs based upon the outcome of study reports completed for the waterways and development for shipping & navigation has been taken up on 20 NWs in various States as detailed at Annex.-1.
- (c) The steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  promotion  of  cargo  movement  through National Waterwaysare at Annex.2 .

## Annex.-1

## LIST OF 26 NATIONAL WATERWAYS (NWs) PROJECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

|   Sl. No | NW     | Details of Waterways                                                      |   Length (Km) | STATES                                        | Status                                                                      |
|----------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | NW 1   | Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia - Allahabad)                |          1620 | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal | Development taken up with Assistance from World Bank Jal Marg Vikas Project |
|        2 | NW 2   | Brahmaputra River (Dhubri - Sadiya)                                       |           891 | Assam                                         | Development                                                                 |
|        3 | NW 16  | Barak River (Lakhipur -Tuker Gram)                                        |           121 | Assam                                         | taken up as per approved SFC for FY 2020-21 to 2024-25                      |
|        4 | NW 3   | West Coast Canal (Kottapuram - Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals |           205 | Kerala                                        | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|        5 | NW 4   | Krishna River (Vijayawada - Muktyala)                                     |            82 | Andhra Pradesh                                | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|        6 | NW 5   | Dhamra-Paradip via Mangalagadi to Pankopal                                |           233 | Odisha                                        | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|        7 | NW 8   | Alappuzha- Changanassery Canal                                            |            29 | Kerala                                        | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|        8 | NW 9   | Alappuzha - Kottayam - Athirampuzha Canal                                 |            40 | Kerala (Alternate route: 11.5km)              | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|        9 | NW 27  | Cumberjua River (Cortalim-Ferry to Sao MartiasVidhanParisad)              |            17 | Goa                                           | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       10 | NW 68  | Mandovi River (Usgoan bridge to Arabian Sea)                              |            41 | work Goa                                      | taken                                                                       |
|       11 | NW 111 | Zuari River (Sanvorden bridge to Marmugao Port)                           |            50 | up Phase-I Goa                                | under DIB                                                                   |
|       12 | NW 86  | Rupnarayan River (PratapPur to Geonkhali)                                 |            72 | approval. West Bengal                         | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       13 | NW 97  | Sunderbans Waterway (Namkhana to AtharaBanki Khal)                        |           172 | West Bengal                                   | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       14 | NW 40  | Ghagra River (Faizabad to ManjhiGhat)                                     |           345 | Bihar & U.P.                                  | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       15 | NW 52  | Kali River (Kodasalli Dam to Sadashivgad Bridge, Arabian Sea)             |            53 | Karnataka                                     | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       16 | NW 44  | Ichamati River (Bridge at Gobra to Bansjhari near Bangladesh Border)      |            63 | West Bengal                                   | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |
|       17 | NW 57  | Kopili River (BanthaiGaonTinali Bus Stop to                               |            50 | Assam                                         | Mostly Operational Waterways and development and maintenance                |

|    |        | Chandrapur No.2 confluence with Brahmaputra)                                                  |     |                                      |
|----|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----|--------------------------------------|
| 18 | NW 31  | Dhansiri River (Morongi T.E. village Bridge to Numaligarh)                                    | 110 | Assam                                |
| 19 | NW 10  | Amba River (Arabian Sea, Dharamtaar Creek to Nagothane ST Stand)                              |  45 | Maharashtra                          |
| 20 | NW 28  | Dabhol Creek Vasisti River (Arabian Sea at Dabhol to Bridge at Pedhe)                         |  45 | Maharashtra                          |
| 21 | NW 25  | Chapora River (Bridge near Maneri village to Morjim, Arabian Sea)                             |  25 | Goa Operational Waterways            |
| 22 | NW 37  | Gandak River (Bhaisalotal Barrage to Hazipur)                                                 | 296 | Bihar & U.P.                         |
| 23 | NW 73  | Narmada River (Pandhariya to Gulf of Khambhat)                                                | 226 | Maharashtra & Gujarat                |
| 24 | NW 85  | Revadanda Creek - Kundalika River System (Arabian Sea at Revadanda to Bridge near Roha Nagar) |  31 | for development by 2030. Maharashtra |
| 25 | NW 94  | Sone River (Sone Barrage, Dehri to Confluence with the Ganga)                                 | 141 | Bihar                                |
| 26 | NW 100 | Tapi River (Hatnur Dam to Gulf of Khambhat)                                                   | 436 | Maharashtra & Gujarat                |

## STEPS TAKEN FOR PROMOTION OF WATER BASED TRANSPORT SYSTEM

## 1. Initiatives for growth of traffic on National Waterways

## i. Fairway Development Works:

Fairway  development  works  to  ensure  Least  Available  Depth  (LAD)  of  3.0  meter  in Haldia-Barh, 2.5 meter in Barh-Ghazipur and 2.2 meter in Ghazipur-Varanasi stretches on NW-1 under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) have been undertaken by IWAI with the  technical  and  financial  assistance  from  World  Bank.  Similarly,  to  improve  the connectivity between NW-1 and NW-2/NW-16 via the Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route, the critical and shallow stretches between Sirajganj and Daikhowa on IBP Route No.  1  &  2  and  Ashuganj  and  Zakiganj  on  IBP  Route  No.  3  &  4  in  Bangladesh, development works have been taken up jointly by India and Bangladesh for round the year navigability (with targeted LAD of 2.5 mtrs). Similarly, fairway development works are carried out on NW-97 in Sunderbans to allow smooth navigation of vessels on the IBP Route.

## ii. Development of New National Waterways:

IWAI  has  identified  25  new  NWs  through  techno-economic  feasibility  studies  for undertaking technical interventions to make the waterways navigable for transportation purpose.

## iii.Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax Service Commenced in Various National Waterways:

The Operation of Ro-Ro /Ro-Pax vessels inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minster during February 2021 for the following routes:

| Vessel Name                             | Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax Services between         | Date of Inauguration by Hon'ble Prime Minister   |
|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| MV Rani Gaidinliu& MV SachinDeve Barman | Neamati and Kamalabari (Majuli)       | 18.02.2021                                       |
| MV JFR Jacob                            | Guwahati and North Guwahati           | 18.02.2021                                       |
| MV Bob Khathing                         | Dhubri and Fakirganj (U/S Hatsingimar | 18.02.2021                                       |
| MV AdiShankara& MV                      | Wellingdon Island and Bolghaty        | 14.02.2021                                       |

| C.V. Raman   |
|--------------|

## iv. Revision of Levy & Collection of Fees:

Taking ahead the vision of the Government of India to promote Inland Waterways as a supplementary mode of transport, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has allowed the waiver of waterway user charges initially for a period of three years.

## 2. Digital solutions for ease-of-doing business:

· CAR-D  (Cargo  Data)  Portal :  CAR-D  is  a  web  based  portal  for  collection  & compilation,  analysis  and  dissemination  of  all  cargo  and  cruise  movement  data  of National Waterways to the stakeholders.

· PANI (Portal for  Asset & Navigation Information) :  PANI  is  an  integrated  solution brining river navigation and infrastructure information on a single platform.

It  provides  detailed  information  of  various  features  of  National  Waterways  and  the assets  such  as  fairway,  infrastructure  facilities,  cross-river  structures,  connectivity  at jetties, emergency services for facilitating transportation of cargo.

These solutions increase collaboration across divergent stakeholders, improve organizational consistency, increased resource agility, enhances ownership and accountability  for  each  stakeholder  leading  to  improved  management  of  activities.  By having public access to key work being done by IWAI for the sector, will enhance IWAI's standing in the market and will increase trust in the sector.

## 3. Enhanced regional trade using IWT mode:

- a.  Addition  of  new  Ports  of  Call  and  routes  in  India  and  Bangladesh  under PIWT&T :  With  7  new  ports  of  call  in  addition  to  existing  6  on  each  side  along  with addition/ extension of 2 waterway routes in addition to existing 8 routes under PIWT&T between India and Bangladesh, the accessibility of IWT mode for trade between India and Bangladesh is expected to increase and result in growth of traffic on NWs.

b.  Trade  between  Bhutan  and  Bangladesh :  Stone  exporters  from  Bhutan  have identified  Inland  waterways  as  an  alternate  mode  of  transportation  considering  the benefits  associated  with  waterways  mode  such  as  lower  transportation  cost,  larger shipment  size  compared  to  road,  avoiding  congestion  on  land  routes  etc.  The  first movement  under  supervision  of  IWAI  was  successfully  executed  in  July  2019.  This trade using the IWT mode is expected to continue and reach a significant scale in the coming years.

## 4. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for facilitating the Stakeholders to use Inland  Water  Transport  and  access  the  various  information  related  to  National Waterways:

The  list  of  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOPs)  for  various  National  Waterways which are available at IWAI website is as given below:

i.  Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Agreement on the use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movement of goods to and from India between the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of Republic of India.

ii. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of MoU on Passenger and Cruise Services on the Coastal and Protocol Route between the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of Republic of India.

iii.  Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the MoU on use of Inland Waterways for Transportation  of  Bilateral  Trade  and  Transit  cargoes  between  the  Government  of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of Republic of India.

iv. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Movement of Vessels on Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWT&T) to contain the spread of COVID19.

v.  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOP)  and  Check  List  for  Ro-Ro  /  Ro-Pax  vessel operations on National Waterways.

vi. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Car-D Portal.

## 5.Stakeholder consultations:

IWAI  carried  out  stakeholder  consultations  at  six  different  locations  (Kolkata,  Kochi, Mumbai,  Patna,  Goa  and  Dhaka)  in  FY-20,  9  nos.  during  FY-21  and  06  nos. conference-cum-webinars in FY22 for cargo promotion.

-  PM GatiShakti Multimodal Waterway Connectivity Summit held in Varanasi from 11 th -12 th November  2022  attended  by  Hon'ble  Union  Minister  of  Ports, Shipping  & Waterways  (PSW),  Hon'ble  Chief  Minister,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Hon'ble  Union  Minister  of Commerce, Hon'ble MinistersPSW.  This summit focussed on creating more awareness about the PM GatiShakti and 07 community jetties were inaugurated, and foundation stones laid for 08 community jetties on the Ganga.
-  Flagging  off  of  world's  longest  river  cruise  and  waterways  development  projects inaugurated  and  foundation  stone  laid  virtually  by  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  in  the presence  of  Hon'ble  Minister  PSW,  Hon'ble  Chief  Minister  of  Uttar  Pradesh  on  13 th January 2023 at Varanasi. The Ganga Vilas river cruise successfully completed 3200

km voyage at Dibrugarh on the Brahmaputra via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route on 28.02.2023.

-  Hon'ble Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways held a stakeholders meeting with Indo-Bangladesh-Bhutan IWT Operators at IWAI Dhubri Terminal in the presence of  the  Chairman  & Member (Tech), IWAI on 12.6.2023 for promotion of Inland Water Transport (IWT).
-  To  accelerate  the  holistic  development  of  Inland  Waterway  Transport  in  the  country leading to enhanced cargo, passenger movement and river cruise tourism with active association of States, an Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) has been set up  under  the  chairmanship  of  Hon'ble  Minister  of  Ports,  Shipping  &  Waterways  and Ayush  with  representatives  from  the  State  Governments/  Union  Territories  for  the comprehensive  development  of  National Waterways,  other  inland  waterways  and  the associated ecosystem. The first meeting of IWDC was held at Kolkata on 8th January 2024.

Interventions under the World Bank supported JMVP-II (Arth Ganga) have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 746 Crore on an approach based on the principles on the sustainable development model to energize economic activities which will impact on overall over all ecosystems along the riverbank, leading to socio-economic upliftment of the population living on banks of NW-1.

This can lead to inclusive growth and play a key role in improving the livelihoods of the populations with the transportation of goods and passengers (including tourist) through National Waterway-1.

*****