Lok Sabha Question No. 2179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: National Waterway-4 on Godavari River
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2179 ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## NATIONAL WATERWAY-4 ON GODAVARI RIVER

## 2179. DR. D. PURANDESWARI;

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

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) the  national  policy  on  developing  Inland  Water  Transport  (IWT)  along  with  the status of National Waterways;
- (b) the current status of National Waterway-4 (NW-4) on the Godavari River;
- (c) the progress of dredging works installation of navigational aids and construction of terminals on the Godavari stretch from Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh to the sea;
- (d) the volume of cargo (e.g., coal, fertilizer, foodgrains) moved on NW-4 during the last year; and
- (e) the steps being taken to promote Ro-Ro ferry services and cargo movement from Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh to reduce load on roads?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Government has declared 111 Waterways as National Waterways (NWs) as per National  Waterways  Act,  2016.  Inland  Waterways  Authority of India (IWAI), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, conducts Techno-economic feasibility and Detailed Project report (DPR) of feasible NWs based on proposal from state concerned and takes appropriate action for development of these NWs for cargo/passenger movement as per DPR. Currently, 32 NWs are operational for Cargo/Passenger movement. The details of operational NWs are given at Annexure-I.
- (b) The Godavari river (constituent of NW-4) is being developed in intermittent feasible locations in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra keeping in view the fact that there are challenges in the form of existence of 3 weirs, 21 barrages, 5 dams, 14 check dams without navigational locks creating hindrance in movement of vessels.
- (c) The stretch  of  Godavari  river  from  Rajahmundry  (Dowleswaram barrage)  to  its confluence at sea is not declared as part of NW-4. As such, no dredging is envisaged in this stretch of Godavari river as on date.
- (d) The Cargo movement on NW-4 in 2024-25 was 10.40 MMT.
- (e) The updation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for NW-4 is underway and based on the findings of the DPR, necessary action will be taken.

## Annexure -I

| Operational National Waterways as on 30.11.2025   | Operational National Waterways as on 30.11.2025   | Operational National Waterways as on 30.11.2025                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                           | NWNo.                                             | Limits of NW                                                                          |
| 1                                                 | NW-1                                              | Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia-Allahabad)                              |
| 2                                                 | NW-2                                              | Brahmaputra River (Dhubri-Sadiya)                                                     |
| 3                                                 | NW-3                                              | West Coast Canal                                                                      |
| 4                                                 | NW-4                                              | Krishna Godavari River Systems                                                        |
| 5                                                 | NW-5                                              | East Coast Canal and Matai River/Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra Rivers/Mahanadi Delta Rivers |
| 6                                                 | NW-8                                              | Alappuzha-Changanassery Canal                                                         |
| 7                                                 | NW-9                                              | Alappuzha-Kottayam-Athirampuzha Canal                                                 |
| 8                                                 | NW-14                                             | Baitarni River                                                                        |
| 9                                                 | NW-16                                             | Barak River                                                                           |
| 10                                                | NW-23                                             | Budha Balanga                                                                         |
| 11                                                | NW-31                                             | Dhansiri/Chathe                                                                       |
| 12                                                | NW-44                                             | Ichamati River                                                                        |
| 13                                                | NW-48                                             | Jawai-Luni-Rann Of Kutch River                                                        |
| 14                                                | NW-53                                             | (Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek And Ulhas River)                           |
| 15                                                | NW-64                                             | Mahanadi River                                                                        |
| 16                                                | NW-86                                             | Rupnarayan River                                                                      |
| 17                                                | NW-94                                             | Sone River                                                                            |
| 18                                                | NW-97                                             | Sunderbans Waterway                                                                   |
| 19                                                | NW-10                                             | Amba River                                                                            |
| 20                                                | NW-83                                             | Rajpuri Creek                                                                         |
| 21                                                | NW-85                                             | Revadanda Creek-Kundalika River System                                                |
| 22                                                | NW-91                                             | Shastri River - Jaigad Creek System                                                   |

|   23 | NW-68   | Mandovi River   |
|------|---------|-----------------|
|   24 | NW-111  | Zuari River     |
|   25 | NW-73   | Narmada River   |
|   26 | NW-100  | Tapi River      |
|   27 | NW-27   | Cumberjua River |
|   28 | NW-47   | Jalangi River   |
|   29 | NW-87   | Sabarmati River |
|   30 | NW-57   | Kopili River    |
|   31 | NW-110  | Yamuna River    |
|   32 | NW-40   | Ghaghra River   |

*****