Lok Sabha Question No. 5708 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Operational National Waterways
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5708

ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026

## OPERATIONAL NATIONAL WATERWAYS

5708. SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

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

पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) the number of Waterways declared ads National Waterways so far and the number of those currently operational along with the details of its length, location and the year in which operations commenced, State-wise and year-wise; (b) the reasons for the gap between the number of declared waterways and those that are operational; and (c) the details of the plan of the Government to develop twenty new waterway corridors costs,
- during the next five years, including the proposed routes, estimated implementation timelines and funding mechanisms?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) and  (b)   A  total  of  111  waterways  have  been  declared  as  National  Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016.  Based on Feasibility Study Reports / Detailed  Project  Reports,  32  NWs  have  been  made  operational  for  cargo/passenger movement.  State-wise  and  year-wise  details  of  operational  NWs  with  lengthare  at Annexure-1.
- (c) Details of  20 NWs which will be made operational within next 5 yearare given at Annexure-2. Estimated cost for their operationalisation is being finalised based on the infrastructure proposed on these NWs in consultation with the stakeholders/ respective States and the expenditure shall be met from the budgetarysupport.

Annexure-1 State-wise and year-wise details of operational NWs with length

| Operational NWs in 2013-14      | Operational NWs in 2013-14      | Operational NWs in 2013-14                                  | Operational NWs in 2013-14      | Operational NWs in 2013-14                   |
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.                          | NW No.                          | Name of NW                                                  | Operational Length (in km)      | State / UT                                   |
| 1                               | NW-1                            | Ganga-Bhagirathi- Hooghly River System (Allahabad - Haldia) | 1,620                           | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal |
| 2                               | NW-2                            | Brahmaputra River (Sadiya-Dhubri)                           | 891                             | Assam                                        |
| 3                               | NW-3                            | West Coast Canal                                            | 205                             | Kerala                                       |
| NWs made operational in 2016-17 | NWs made operational in 2016-17 | NWs made operational in 2016-17                             | NWs made operational in 2016-17 | NWs made operational in 2016-17              |
| 4                               | NW-10                           | Amba River                                                  | 45                              | Maharashtra                                  |
| 5                               | NW-83                           | Rajpuri Creek                                               | 31                              | Maharashtra                                  |
| 6                               | NW-85                           | Revadanda Creek- Kundalika River System                     | 31                              | Maharashtra                                  |
| 7                               | NW-91                           | Shastri River - Jaigad Creek System                         | 48                              | Maharashtra                                  |
| 8                               | NW-68                           | Mandovi River                                               | 41                              | Goa                                          |
| 9                               | NW-111                          | Zuari River                                                 | 50                              | Goa                                          |
| NWs made operational in 2017-18 | NWs made operational in 2017-18 | NWs made operational in 2017-18                             | NWs made operational in 2017-18 | NWs made operational in 2017-18              |
| 10                              | NW-73                           | Narmada River                                               | 226                             | Gujarat                                      |
| 11                              | NW-100                          | Tapi River                                                  | 436                             | Gujarat                                      |
| NWs made operational in 2018-19 | NWs made operational in 2018-19 | NWs made operational in 2018-19                             | NWs made operational in 2018-19 | NWs made operational in 2018-19              |
| 12                              | NW-4                            | Krishna Godavari River Systems                              | 82                              | Andhra Pradesh                               |
| 13                              | NW-97                           | Sunderbans Waterway                                         | 172                             | West Bengal                                  |
| NWs made operational in 2019-20 | NWs made operational in 2019-20 | NWs made operational in 2019-20                             | NWs made operational in 2019-20 | NWs made operational in 2019-20              |
| 14                              | NW-16                           | Barak River                                                 | 121                             | Assam                                        |

| 15                              | NW-44                           | Ichamati River                                               | 63                              | West Bengal                     |
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 16                              | NW-94                           | Sone River                                                   | 141                             | Bihar                           |
| NWs made operational in 2020-21 | NWs made operational in 2020-21 | NWs made operational in 2020-21                              | NWs made operational in 2020-21 | NWs made operational in 2020-21 |
| 17                              | NW-86                           | Rupnarayan River                                             | 72                              | West Bengal                     |
| NWs made operational in 2021-22 | NWs made operational in 2021-22 | NWs made operational in 2021-22                              | NWs made operational in 2021-22 | NWs made operational in 2021-22 |
| 18                              | NW-5                            | Rivers/Mahanadi Delta Rivers                                 | 233                             | Odisha                          |
| 19                              | NW-64                           | Mahanadi River                                               | 98                              | Odisha                          |
| NWs made operational in 2022-23 | NWs made operational in 2022-23 | NWs made operational in 2022-23                              | NWs made operational in 2022-23 | NWs made operational in 2022-23 |
| 20                              | NW-23                           | BudhaBalanga                                                 | 56                              | Odisha                          |
| 21                              | NW-8                            | Alappuzha- Changanassery Canal                               | 29                              | Kerala                          |
| 22                              | NW-9                            | Alappuzha-Kottayam - Athirampuzha Canal                      | 40                              | Kerala                          |
| 23                              | NW-14                           | Baitarni River                                               | 48                              | Odisha                          |
| 24                              | NW-31                           | Dhansiri/Chathe                                              | 114                             | Assam                           |
| NWs made operational in 2024-25 | NWs made operational in 2024-25 | NWs made operational in 2024-25                              | NWs made operational in 2024-25 | NWs made operational in 2024-25 |
| 25                              | NW-48                           | Jawai-Luni-Rann Of Kutch River                               | 34                              | Gujarat                         |
| 26                              | NW-53                           | (Kalyan-Thane- Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek and Ulhas River) | 68                              | Maharashtra                     |
| NWs made operational in 2025-26 | NWs made operational in 2025-26 | NWs made operational in 2025-26                              | NWs made operational in 2025-26 | NWs made operational in 2025-26 |
| 27                              | NW-27                           | Cumberjua River                                              | 17                              | Goa                             |
| 28                              | NW-47                           | Jalangi River                                                | 84                              | West Bengal                     |
| 29                              | NW-87                           | Sabarmati River                                              | 34                              | Gujarat                         |

|   30 | NW-57   | Kopili River   |   6 | Assam         |
|------|---------|----------------|-----|---------------|
|   31 | NW-110  | Yamuna River   |   7 | Uttar Pradesh |
|   32 | NW-40   | Ghaghra River  |  12 | Uttar Pradesh |

## Annexure-2

## Details of  20 NWs which will be made operational within next 5 year

|   Sl. No. | National Waterway (Length)                           | State/U.T.                                 | Year of operationalization   |
|-----------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|         1 | NW-49 : Jhelum River (110 km)                        | Jammu & Kashmir                            | 2026-27                      |
|         2 | NW-26: Chenab River (51 km)                          | Jammu & Kashmir                            | 2026-27                      |
|         3 | NW-84: Ravi River (44 km)                            | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Punjab | 2026-27                      |
|         4 | NW 51: Kabini River (23.17 km)                       | Karnataka                                  | 2026-27                      |
|         5 | NW 90: Sharavati River (28.67 km)                    | Karnataka                                  | 2026-27                      |
|         6 | NW-14: Baitarni River (48 km)                        | Odisha                                     | 2026-27                      |
|         7 | NW-25: Chapora River (33 km)                         | Goa                                        | 2027-30                      |
|         8 | NW-88: Sal River (14.05 km)                          | Goa                                        | 2027-30                      |
|         9 | NW-4 Extension- Krishna River (636 km)               | Telangana & Andhra Pradesh                 | 2027-30                      |
|        10 | NW-76: Panchagangavali River (23 km)                 | Karnataka                                  | 2027-30                      |
|        11 | NW-22: Birupa-Badi-Genguti- Brahmani System (155 km) | Odisha                                     | 2027-30                      |
|        12 | NW-23: BudhaBalanga River (55.89 km)                 | Odisha                                     | 2027-30                      |
|        13 | NW-96: Subarnarekha River (311 km)                   | Jharkhand, West Bengal & Odisha            | 2027-30                      |
|        14 | NW-20: Bhawani River (95 km)                         | Tamil Nadu                                 | 2027-30                      |
|        15 | NW-89: Savitri River &Bankot Creek (45.57 km )       | Maharashtra                                | 2027-30                      |
|        16 | NW-13: AVM Canal (11.3 km)                           | Keralam& Tamil Nadu                        | 2027-30                      |
|        17 | NW-59: Kottayam-Vaikom Canal (18.8 km)               | Keralam                                    | 2027-30                      |
|        18 | NW-28:Dabhol Creek-Vashishti                         | Maharashtra                                | 2027-30                      |

|    | River (45 km)                                                        |           |         |
|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|---------|
| 19 | NW-41: Ghataprabha River (111.76 km)                                 | Karnataka |         |
| 20 | NW-5: Brahmani River- Kharsua& Mahanadi Delta rivers System (332 km) | Odisha    | 2030-31 |

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