Lok Sabha Question No. 4629 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Jal Marg Vikas Project
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Lumbaram Choudhary, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Smt. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, Shri Dilip Saikia, Smt. Kamlesh Jangde, Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi, Shri Naba Charan Majhi, Shri Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4629

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026

## JAL MARG VIKAS PROJECT

4629. SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY:

SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:

DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:

SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL:

SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY:

SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI:

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

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

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a)  the  details  of  infrastructure  created  under  the  Jal  Marg  Vikas  Project  (JMVP)  on National Waterway-1, including multimodal and inter-modal terminals developed so far; (b)  the  details  of  the  Dredging  Management  Plan  (DMP)  implemented  for  fairway capacity enhancement; (c) the status of fairway development and maintenance works contracted under the said Project, Section-wise; (d)  whether the  Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is working on a project to constructa 262 km Waterway from Kandla Port in Gujarat to Jalore and develop it as National Waterways-48, if  so,  the  details  thereof  indicating  the  estimated  expenditure incurred thereon and timeline for its completion; (e) the efforts being made by the Government for a waterway in the Chambal River in Rajasthan; (f)  the  cargo  movement  on  National  Waterway-1  since  the  year  2014-15  and  the percentage growth recorded in this regard, year-wise; and (g)  whether  any  steps  have  been  taken  to  further  enhance  vessel  capacity,  cargo handling capacity cargo throughput and private sector participation under JMVP, if so,
- the details thereofand if not, the plan of the Government to explore such routes?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  The  details  of  infrastructure  created  under  Jal  Marg  Vikas  Project  (JMVP)  on National Waterway-1 (NW-1) areas below:
1.  Multimodal Terminals (MMTs) at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia
2.  Intermodal Terminal at Kalughat (77000 TEU)
3.  New Navigational Lock, Farakka
4.  Community Jetties: 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 21 in Bihar, 2 in Jharkhand & 22 in West Bengal
5.  Onshore facilities at 8 Community Jetty locations in Uttar Pradesh
6.  Quick  Pontoon  Opening  Mechansim  (QPOM):  One  each  in  Uttar  Pradesh  and Bihar.
- (b)  &  (c) As  per  the  Dredging  Management  Plan  (DMP),  the  following  Least  Assured Depth (LAD) and bottom channel width are to be maintained across NW-1:
- (i)  Haldia to Barh:Depth: 3.0 metres; Bottom width: 45 metres
- (ii) Barh to Ghazipur: Depth: 2.5 metres; Bottom width: 45 metres
- (iii)Ghazipur to Varanasi:Depth: 2.2 metres; Bottom width: 45 metres

The stretch wise status of fairway development and maintenance works awarded under JMVP is as under:

|   Sl. No. | Stretch                               | Type of dredging contract   | Date of award of work           |
|-----------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
|         1 | Varanasi-Ghazipur (130 Km)            | Quantity based              | 21.01.2025                      |
|         2 | Majhaua - Ghazipur (115 km)           | Quantity based              | 28.06.2024                      |
|         3 | Digha - Majhaua (95 km)               | Quantity based              | 31.01.2024                      |
|         4 | Barh -Digha (74 km)                   | Quantity based              | 09.05.2024                      |
|         5 | Sultanganj - Mahendrapur - Barh       | Performance (LAD) based     | 25.10.2024                      |
|         6 | Farakka- Kahalgaon (146 km)           | Performance (LAD) based     | 08.03.2024                      |
|         7 | Farakka - Katwa (199 km)              | Performance (LAD) based     | 08.03.2024                      |
|         8 | Katwa - Tribeni (152 km)              | Performance (LAD) based     | 15.03.2024                      |
|         9 | Haldia Access Channel (Deposit basis) | Quantity based              | 05.08.2024                      |
|        10 | Kalughat Access Channel               | Quantity based              | Being maintained departmentally |

(d)    Inland  Waterways  Authority  of  India  (IWAI)  an  autonomous  organisation  under Ministry  of  Ports,  Shipping  and  Waterwaysis  preparing  DPR  for  the  stretch  from  Kori Creek  to  Jalore.  Any  development  activity  in  the  said  stretch  will  depend  on  the findingsof the DPR and its viability.

- (e)  The declared portion of Chambal River as NW-24does not fall within Rajasthan and hence no development activity hasbeen undertaken/planned in Rajasthan on Chambal River.

(f)Details of cargo movement on NW-1 since 2014-15 are given below:

| National Waterways (NW)                                 | 2014- 15 2015- 16 17   |        | 2016- 18   | 2017-   | 2018- 19   | 2019- 20   | 2020- 21   | 2021- 22   | 2022- 23   | 2023- 24   | 2024- 25   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|--------|------------|---------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
| Cargo Movement [in Million Metric Tonne (MMT)]          | 5.05                   | 6.48   | 4.89       | 5.48    | 6.79       | 9.11       | 9.21       | 10.93      | 13.17      | 12.82      | 16.38      |
| Compounded Annual Growth Rate during 2014-15 to 2024-25 | 12.49%                 | 12.49% | 12.49%     | 12.49%  | 12.49%     | 12.49%     | 12.49%     | 12.49%     | 12.49%     | 12.49%     | 12.49%     |

(g)Measures  taken  to  enhance  vessel  capacity,  cargo  throughput and  private sector participation under JMVP includes:

- (i) Low draft with high carrying capacity (tug-barge combination) vessels have been procured.
- (ii) Infrastructures like MMT, IMT, jetties etc.have been developed.
- (iii) Modern  navigation  infrastructure  including  River  Information  System  (RIS), Differential  Global  Positioning  System  (DGPS),  Navigation  Aids  viz.  channel marking and night navigation aids have been provided.
- (iv)  Jalvahak  scheme  is  being  implemented  to  provide incentives  to  promote  the utilization of Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) Sector by cargo owners and for establishing  Schedule  Services  for  cargo  movement  on  NW-1  and  NW-2  via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route.
- (v) MMTHaldia,  IMT  Kalughat  and  G.R.  Jetty  on  NW-1  are  being  operated  by private entities on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. (vi)  Fairway  maintenance  under  progress  to  provide  LAD  of  about  2.2-3.0  m  and
- adequate channel width to enable navigation of 1,500-2,000 DWT vessels.
- *****