Lok Sabha Question No. 2244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Inland Water Transpsort
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2244

ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## INLAND WATER TRANSPORT

2244.  SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY:

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

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

(a) whether it is a fact that there is a great potential for inland water transport in the Coastal districts of Karnataka under National Waterways, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether a detailed action plan has been prepared to develop terminals, jetties and  logistics  hubs  in  Udupi,  Dakshina  Kannada  and  Uttara  Kannada  districts  of Karnataka, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether a multimodal connectivity scheme is being implemented to link these terminals with railways, highways and industrial areas, if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether Government  is considering to provide technical and financial assistance for its promotion, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Karnataka  has  12  declared  National  Waterways  (NWs)  as  per  The National Waterways Act, 2016 as given at Annexure-I. Inland Waterways Authority of India  (IWAI),  an  autonomous  organization  under  the  Ministry  of  Ports,  Shipping  & Waterways has prepared an action plan for providing floating jetties for river cruise tourism.  The  detail  action  plan  is  given  at Annexure-II .  Besides  this,  IWAI  is conducting  technical  feasibility  for  setting  up  of  logistics  hub  at  Mengaluru.  The outcome will depend on the recommendations of the technical feasibility report. (c) No. (d) The developmental works in these NWs are being taken up by IWAI through

- Government Budgetary Support.

## National Waterways in Karnataka

|   SI. No | National Waterway   | River                                   |   Lengt h in Km | State(s)                                                                                   |
|----------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | NW-4                | Krishna river (Wazirabad to Vijayawada) |             636 | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Puducherry and Chhattisgarh |
|        2 | NW-21               | Bheema river                            |             139 | Karnataka & Telangana                                                                      |
|        3 | NW-41               | Ghataprabha river                       |             112 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        4 | NW-43               | Gurupur river                           |              10 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        5 | NW-51               | Kabini river                            |              23 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        6 | NW-52               | Kali river                              |              53 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        7 | NW-67               | Malaprabha river                        |              94 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        8 | NW-74               | Netravathi river                        |              79 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|        9 | NW-76               | Panchagangavali (panchagangoli) river   |              23 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|       10 | NW-90               | Sharavati river                         |              29 | Karnataka                                                                                  |
|       11 | NW-104              | Tungabhadra river                       |             232 | Karnataka, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh                                                      |
|       12 | NW-105              | Udayavara river                         |              15 | Karnataka                                                                                  |

## Annexure-I

## Annexure-II

## Action  Planfor  providing  floating  jetties  and  navigational  aids  by  2026-27  by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Karnataka NWs

- (a) Gurupur  River  (NW-43)  &  Netravathi  River  (NW-74)-  3  pairs  of  connecting jetties are proposed to connect Bengre Ferry Service, BMS ferry line, Sulthan Bathery. Further, a pair of jetty at Bolar and Ullal is proposed for development for ferry route (1.5 Km) against a distance of 15.7 Kms taken by road.  Jetties already exist at these locations, the same are proposed to be augmented by navigational aids.
- (b) Kali River (NW-52)- Induction of navigational aids and augmentation of existing jetty (24 m x 6m) is proposed navigational aids are proposed to be set up.
- (c) Panchagangavali River (NW-76)- A floating jetty at Kodi beach is proposed for initiating river cruise in the backwaters of this river.
- (d) Sharavati River  (NW-90)-  2 floating  jetties  at  Honnavar  and  Gerusoppa  are proposed for  river  cruise  tourism.  The  tender  has  already  been  floated  and navigational aids are proposed to be set up.
- (e) Udayvara River (NW-105)- A floating jetty is proposed at Malpe for river cruise tourism. Existing cruise operations connect maple sea view to St. Mary Island and Daria Bahadurgarh Fort.

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