Lok Sabha Question No. 305 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Dredging Activities under National Waterway - 1
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Adv Priya Saroj

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *305

ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026

## DREDGING ACTIVITIES UNDER NATIONAL WATERWAY - 1

*305. ADV PRIYA SAROJ:

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

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

(a)  the  key  findings  of  Environmental  Impact  Assessments  conducted  for  dredging activities  along  the  Ganga  stretches  passing  through  Uttar  Pradesh  under  National Waterway-1, particularly regarding sediment balance, riverbank stability and aquatic biodiversity; (b)  the  number  of  instances  where  dredging  exceeded  approved  depth,  timing  or stretch limits and the action taken against executing agencies; (c) whether the stretch-wise data on ecological monitoring has been conducted, if so, the details thereof, including reports of third-party audits; (d) whether any adverse cumulative impact has been recorded for the State of Uttar Pradesh, if so, the details thereof, district-wise; (e)  the  number  of  complaints  received  from  fisher  communities  regarding  livelihood disruption linked to dredging operations in Uttar Pradesh, district-wise; and (f)  the  specific  restoration  measures,  compensation  frameworks  and  scientifically defined thresholds adopted to prevent irreversible ecological damage while

- maintaining Least Available Depth (LAD) for navigation?

## ANSWER

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

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *305  ANSWERED  ON  13.03.2026  RAISED  BY  ADV PRIYA  SAROJ,  HON'BLE  M.P.  REGARDING  'DREDGING  ACTIVITIES  UNDER NATIONAL WATERWAY - 1 '

- (a)  Key Findings of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for Dredging Activities along  the  Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly  River  System  (National  Waterway-1)  in  Uttar Pradesh,  Bihar,  Jharkhand  &  West  Bengal  regarding  sediment  balance,  river  bank stability, and aquatic biodiversity are given at Annexure. Dredging activities on NW-1 in  various  stretches  passing  through  Uttar  Pradesh  are  undertaken  by  the  Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of  Ports,  Shipping  and  Waterways  with  due  diligence  and  in  compliance  with applicable environmental regulations.
- (b)  No such violations have been reported regarding dredging activities on NW-1 in Uttar  Pradesh.  IWAI  maintains  a  robust  oversight  and  monitoring  mechanism  to ensure that dredging contractors strictly adhere to approved depth, timing, and stretch limits  as  specified  in  the  contractual  agreements  and  environmental  clearance conditions.
- (c)  IWAI  undertakes  ecological  monitoring  on  NW-1  as  an  integral  part  of  its environmental  management  obligations.  Stretch-wise  monitoring  is  conducted  in accordance with the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) prepared as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and the conditions stipulated under the  environmental  clearance  granted  by  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The ecological monitoring covers the following parameters across various stretches in Uttar Pradesh:

-  Water quality monitoring (physico-chemical and biological parameters)
-  Aquatic fauna surveys, including cetacean population monitoring
-  Riparian vegetation and bank stability assessments
-  Ambient noise levels during dredging operations

The  monitoring  is  done  by  the  Technical  Support  Service  Consultancy  (TSSC), including National Technology Centre for Ports Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), IIT Madras, during the execution of dredging. No separate third-party audit is conducted by IWAI.

- (d)  Based  on  the  monitoring  data  and  environmental  audits  conducted  so  far,  no adverse cumulative environmental impact attributable to dredging operations of IWAI on NW-1 has been recorded in the State of Uttar Pradesh.
- (e)  During  the  dredging  activities  on  NW-1  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  a  limited  number  of complaints have been received from fisher communities regarding temporary disruption to their fishing activities in certain stretches during active dredging periods. These  complaints  have  been  primarily  reported  from  districts  such  as  Varanasi, Ghazipur,  and  Prayagraj.  Each  complaint  has  been  duly  examined  by  IWAI's  field offices and appropriate redressal measures, including temporary relocation of dredging operations, adequate notice to communities before dredging, and engagement with local Gram Panchayats have been undertaken.
- (f)  IWAI is taking up maintenance dredging in a 45 m width of the deeper portion of the river, wherever the depth is observed to be less than 3 m out of a 500 m to 5000 m width  of  the  entire  river.  During  the  execution  of  this  work,  there  is  no  irreversible ecological  damage  observed  while  maintaining  the  Least  Available  Depth  (LAD)  for navigation, following guidelines issued by MoEF&CC.

## Answered on referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 305 for 13/03/2026.

Key  Findings  of  Environmental  Impact  Assessments  (EIA)  for  Dredging  Activities along  the  Ganga  River  (NW-1)  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Jharkhand  &  West  Bengal regarding sediment balance, river bank stability, and aquatic biodiversity:

## Sediment Balance

EIAs indicate  that  dredging  operations  are  confined  to  maintenance  dredging  within designated  navigation  channels.  Dredged  material  is  disposed  of  at  pre-approved locations, and the overall sediment dynamics of the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System  have  not  been  adversely  impacted.  Periodic  hydrographic  surveys  are conducted to monitor sediment accretion and erosion patterns. The dredging volumes are calibrated to be the minimum necessary to achieve the required Least Available Depth (LAD) for safe navigation.

## Riverbank Stability

EIAs confirm that dredging operations are planned at safe distances from riverbanks and critical infrastructure. Geomorphological assessments have been incorporated to ensure  that  bank  erosion  risks  are  minimized.  The  channel  alignment  and  dredging extents are designed to avoid inducing lateral migration of the river course, and realtime monitoring mechanisms are in place for early detection of any bank instability.

## Aquatic Biodiversity

The  EIAs  acknowledge  the  ecological  sensitivity  of  the  Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River  System,  particularly  with  respect  to  the  Gangetic  River  dolphin  (Platanista gangetica)  and  other  protected  aquatic  fauna.  Accordingly,  dredging  operations  are temporally and spatially restricted during critical breeding and migration seasons. Fish ladders,  resting  areas,  and  environmentally  sensitive  zones  have  been  delineated. IWAI  has  also  engaged  with  the  Wildlife  Institute  of  India  (WII)  and  the  National Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  (NMCG)  to  align  waterway  operations  with  the  broader conservation goals of the National Ganga Council.

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