Lok Sabha Question No. 2182 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Passenger Traffic on National Waterways
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2182

ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## PASSENGER TRAFFIC ON NATIONAL WATERWAYS

2182. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL:

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

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

(a)  the total passenger traffic recorded on India's National Waterways (INW) during the financial year 2023-24 and 2024-25, year-wise; (b)  the quantum of cargo moved via India's National Waterways during the last five fiscal years along with the total revenue generated from cargo movement; (c)  the  details  of  the  regulatory  framework  notified  in  the  year  2025  to  attract  private investment for operating inland waterways infrastructure in the country; (d)  the details of all operational and under development National Waterways, State-wise; (e)  the details of all tourist spots developing along the National Waterway-64 along with the total investment committed for river-cruise tourism eco-system; (f)  the details of the Jalvahak Scheme along with the number of NWs made operational under the said scheme, route-wise; and (g)  whether the safety and relevant assistance is being provided by the Government to the cargos moving in NWs, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The total passenger  traffic recorded on National Waterways (NWs) in India was 1.61 Cr. in 2023- 24 and 7.64 Cr in 2024-25.

(b) The cargo movement recorded in NWs and revenue earned during last five years by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) by way of interest on short term deposits, sale of tender forms, over dimension cargo/general cargo movement, berthing/pilotage charges etc. are given below:

| Year    |   Cargo movement(in million tons) |   Revenue Earned (INR in Lakhs) |
|---------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                             83.61 |                         1950.05 |
| 2021-22 |                            108.79 |                         1182.34 |
| 2022-23 |                            126.15 |                         1397.04 |
| 2023-24 |                            133.03 |                         1988.29 |
| 2024-25 |                            145.84 |                         2533.9  |

- (c) The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025 allows private sector participation in development of jetties/terminals along NWs and promoting infrastructure  growth  through  non-governmental  investment.  A  dedicated  online  portal named  'Jalsamriddhi'  has  been  put  in  place,  where  stakeholders  can  apply  for  'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) for construction of terminals on or along NWs by private agencies, enabling faster infrastructure expansion without Government funding.
- (d)  The details of state-wise operational NWs are given in Annexure-1.
- (e)    IWAI  has  identified  and  conducted  survey  of  the  following  5  river  cruise  tourism circuits on NW-64 (River Mahanadi)
- (i) Subarnameru(Subranpur)-Shiva Mandir (Bargarh)
- (ii) Singanatha Temple(Cuttack)- Badamba (Cuttack)
- (iii) Bankimacharchiga(Cuttack)- Trutladevi Temple
- (iv) Jobra-Shree Shree Dableswara Temple
- (v) Kantilo-Maa Bhattarika Shaktipeeth
- (f) To promote inland water transport sector, Jalvahak scheme has been launched by the Government. The main features of the scheme are as under:
- i) It has a provision of Rs. 95.42 Cr for a period of 3 years from FY 2024-25 to FY 2026-27.
- ii) Provide financial incentives directly to the cargo owners to the extent of 35% of the total actual operating expenditure incurred on waterways journey.
- iii)  Launch of Scheduled Services by Inland and Coastal Shipping Limited (ICSL) for promotion of IWT, by providing funds to ICSL for the IWT vessel operated by ICSL

on (i) Kolkata-Patna/Varanasi route (ii) Kolkata-Guwahati - via IBP route and (iii) Kolkata - Karimganj/Badarpur via IBP route.

- iv)  Scheme is applicable on NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16 only for long haul movement of greater than 200 Kms.

(g) For safety of navigation, protection of life and cargo and prevention of pollution caused by use of navigation of inland vessels, a Legal & Regulatory Framework on NWs has been  provided  in  the  Inland  Vessels  Act,  2021  which  is  a  unified  national  regulatory framework for inland vessels plying in inland waters of India. Further, navigational safety and relevant assistance is provided to vessels with navigational marks. River Pilots are provided on the cargo vessels for safe navigation.

## Annexure-1

## Operational  National Waterways  as on 30.11.2025

|   S.No. | NW No.   | Limits ofNW                                                                           | State                               |
|---------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|       1 | NW-1     | Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia-Allahabad)                              | U. P., Bihar, Jharkhand & W. Bengal |
|       2 | NW-2     | Brahmaputra River (Dhubri- Sadiya)                                                    | Assam                               |
|       3 | NW-3     | West Coast Canal                                                                      | Kerala                              |
|       4 | NW-4     | Krishna Godavari River Systems                                                        | Andhra Pradesh                      |
|       5 | NW-5     | East Coast Canal And Matai River/Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra Rivers/Mahanadi Delta Rivers | Odisha                              |
|       6 | NW-8     | Alappuzha-Changanassery                                                               | CanalKerala                         |
|       7 | NW-9     | Alappuzha-Kottayam - Athirampuzha Canal                                               | Kerala                              |
|       8 | NW-14    | Baitarni River                                                                        | Odisha                              |
|       9 | NW-16    | Barak River                                                                           | Assam                               |
|      10 | NW-23    | Budha Balanga                                                                         | Odisha                              |
|      11 | NW-31    | Dhansiri/Chathe                                                                       | Assam                               |
|      12 | NW-44    | Ichamati River                                                                        | W. Bengal                           |
|      13 | NW-48    | Jawai-Luni-Rann Of Kutch River                                                        | Gujarat                             |
|      14 | NW-53    | (Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek And Ulhas River)                           | Maharashtra                         |
|      15 | NW-64    | Mahanadi River                                                                        | Odisha                              |
|      16 | NW-86    | Rupnarayan River                                                                      | W. Bengal                           |
|      17 | NW-94    | Sone River                                                                            | Bihar                               |

|   18 | NW-97   | Sunderbans Waterway                    | W. Bengal   |
|------|---------|----------------------------------------|-------------|
|   19 | NW-10   | Amba River                             | Maharashtra |
|   20 | NW-83   | Rajpuri Creek                          | Maharashtra |
|   21 | NW-85   | Revadanda Creek-Kundalika River System | Maharashtra |
|   22 | NW-91   | Shastri River - Jaigad Creek System    | Maharashtra |
|   23 | NW-68   | Mandovi River                          | Goa         |
|   24 | NW-111  | Zuari River                            | Goa         |
|   25 | NW-73   | Narmada River                          | Gujarat     |
|   26 | NW-100  | Tapi River                             | Gujarat     |
|   27 | NW-27   | Cumberjua River                        | Goa         |
|   28 | NW-47   | Jalangi River                          | West Bengal |
|   29 | NW-87   | Sabarmati River                        | Gujarat     |
|   30 | NW-57   | Kopili River                           | Assam       |
|   31 | NW-110  | Yamuna River                           | UP          |
|   32 | NW-40   | Ghaghra River                          | UP          |

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