Indian Industry Plus A Pratisrutiplus Suppliment
The Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya,in written repliesto questions in Lok Sabha today,gave detailed information on the status of development of Inland Waterways in the country, and the growth of cargo transportation on these waterways:
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya informed that thetransportation of cargo on National Waterways hasincreased from 2016-17 onwards, when new NWs were declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016. The growth trend over the last five years and the current year was as follows:
| Year | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
| Cargo transported on NWs (In Million Tonnes) | 6.59 | 8.14 | 55.47 | 55.03 | 72.31 | 14.59 (up to May, 2019) |
In reply to another question Shri Mandaviya informed that 13 NW are operational with vessels plying on them. These include National Waterway-1 (NW-1) (Ganga – Bhagirathi – Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia), NW-2 (River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Sadiya), NW -3 (West Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam along with Udyogmandal and Champakara Canals) have already been developed with fairway, navigational aids, jetties and terminals with mechanized equipment handling facilities for loading and unloading of cargo. These waterways including NW-10 (river Amba), NW-27 (Cumberjua), NW-68 (river Mandovi), NW-73 (river Narmada), NW-83 (Rajpuri Creek), NW-85 (Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System), NW-91 (Shastri river–Jaigad creek system), NW-97 (Sunderbans Waterways), NW-100 (river Tapi) and NW-111 (river Zuari)
The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) for capacity augmentation of navigation on the Haldia -Varanasi stretch of National Waterway-1 (Ganga) is being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 5369.18 crore with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank. Projects worth Rs. 1800 crore (approx.) have commenced on ground in a time period of three years after statutory clearances.In NW-4 on the Vijayawada – Muktyala stretch of river Krishna, fairway development works and construction of terminals are in progress at a cost of Rs. 96 crore.
The Minister further informed that techno-economic feasibility is being done for the new National Waterways, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) being prepared. As per the DPRs completed so far, 36 of the new NWs have been found to be technically viable, and development activities have been initiated on the 10 most viable NWs as given in the table below:-
| Name of the Waterway | Status |
|
Development works at a cost of Rs. 76.01 crore for Phase-1 from Silchar to Bhanga has commenced. This includes maintenance dredging, upgradation of terminals at Badarpur and Karimganj. Waterway is operational with limited infrastructure facility. |
|
Development work at a cost of Rs. 12.91 crore including fairway maintenance work has commenced. Waterway is operational with limited infrastructure facility. |
| Waterways in Goa
|
Work is proposed to be executed through Government of Goa with the assistance of Mormugao Port Trust. A Tripartite MoU has been signed for the commencement of works. Development works at an estimated cost of Rs. 22.65 crore has commenced. NWs of Goa are operational. |
| 6. Alappuzha – Kottayam – Athirampuzha Canal (NW-9) : | Development of the waterway at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.60 crore has commenced. Night navigation facilities has been procured and installed. Dredging is proposed departmentally. Waterway is already operational for ferry services. |
| 7. River Rupnarayan (NW-86) | Development works on the waterway at an estimated cost of Rs. 24.00 crore has commenced. Work has been awarded for setting up of floating terminal. Tendering for dredging is at an advanced stage. Waterway is operational. |
| 8. Sunderbans Waterways (NW-97) | Development works on waterway at an estimated cost of Rs. 18.10 crore has commenced. Dredging work is in progress. Waterway is part of Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route and already operational for vessels. |
| 9. River Kosi (NW-58) | Project sanctioned for Rs. 15.68 crore to develop the waterway with minimum required infrastructure (bandalling, channel marking, floating terminals and conducting monthly survey etc.). Tender for river conservancy works and floating pontoon facility are in progress for making the waterway operational. |
| 10. River Ghagra (NW-40) | An amount of Rs. 11.60 crore has been approved for fairway development by bandalling and day channel marking, creation of floating terminals and monthly surveys. Tender for river conservancy works and floating pontoon facility are in progress for making the waterway operational. |
Shri Mandaviya also informed that the Ministry of Shippinghad issued directionsdated 18.04.2018 to five Major Ports to take up development of the National Waterways which are in their proximity, through release of grants by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). A sum of Rs. 750.36 crore has been provided as Gross Budgetary Support for the Inland Waterways Authority of India for the financial year 2019-20, to undertake various activities, including development of National Waterways (NWs) through Major Ports.The list of National Waterways assigned to five Major Ports is as below-
| Sl. no. | Major Port | Name of Waterway with distance in (km) | National Waterway No. |
| 1. | New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) | i. Kabini (23)
ii. Gurupur (10) iii. Kali (53) iv. Netrawathi (30) v. Sharavati (29) vi. Ghataprabha (112) vii. Malaprabha (94) viii. Tungabhadra (230) ix. Bheema (139) |
NW – 51
NW – 43 NW – 52 NW – 74 NW – 90 NW – 41 NW – 67 NW-104 NW – 21 |
| 2. | Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) | i. Amba river (45)
ii. Arunavati-Aran river (98) iii. Dabhol Creek-Vashisti river (45) iv. Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway Vasai Creek Ulhas river (145) v. Manjara river (242) vi. Nag river (60) vii. Penganga-Wardha river (265) viii. Revdanda Creek- Kundalika river (31) ix. Bankot Creek – Savita river (46) x. Tapi river (164) xi. Wainganga-Pranahita river (164) |
NW-10
NW- 11 NW – 28 NW- 53
NW- 70 NW- 72 NW- 78 NW- 85 NW- 89 NW- 100 NW- 109 |
| 3. | Deendayal Port Trust, Kandla | i. Mahi river (248)
ii. Narmada river (227) iii. Tapi river (436) iv. Jawai-Luni rivers and Rann Kutch (590) v. Luni river (336) |
NW- 66
NW- 73 NW- 100 NW- 48 NW- 327 |
| 4. | Paradip Port Trust (PPT) | i. Brahmani- Kharsua – Tantighai- PanduaNala- DedheiNala- KaniDhamra- river System, Geonkhali- Charbatia Stretch of East Coast canal, Charbatia- Dhamra Stretch of Matai river and Mahanadi Delta rivers (332)
ii. Baitarni river (49) iii. Mahanadi river (425) iv. Subarnrekha river (314) |
NW- 5
NW- 14 NW- 64 NW- 96 |
| 5. | Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) | i. Mandovi river (41)
ii. Cumberjua (17) iii. Zuari (50) iv. Chapori (33) v. Mapusa (27) |
NW- 68
NW- 27 NW- 111 NW- 25 NW- 71 |
The Minister further informed that no proposal is under consideration of the Government to form Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for development of National Waterways by the Major Ports, as on date
