The government is now planning to revive old waterways to create a strong inland and maritime transport network.
a cruise that connects Hazira port in Surat and Diu Island; (Photo: ANI)
DIn the pre-independence period, major navigable rivers were an important mode of transport in northern and eastern India. But trade was largely confined to the waterways of the Ganges. With the advent of railways, the focus on waterways saw a steady decline. Although transportation through rivers is cheaper, India’s freight
Movement in this mode is less than 1 percent compared to 24 percent in China and 9 percent in the US. At present, there are 111 national waterways in the country—106 were notified as national waterways in 2016, adding to the list of the existing five.
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In 2015, the government launched the ambitious Sagarmala project to capitalize on India’s coastline and build infrastructure to connect various ports in the country. Sagarmala’s investment target is $123 billion, which is equivalent to the Golden Quadrilateral project for highways – under which 415 projects will be developed. It was in 2016 that the government passed the National Waterways Act and launched the National Inland Waterways Program, declaring 111 rivers or stretches of river as national (inland) waterways. As of 2016, there were only five national waterways—the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system; Brahmaputra; West Coast Canal with Udyogamandal and Champakara canals; The Kakinada-Puducherry canals with the Godavari and Krishna rivers and the East Coast Canal are integrated with the Brahmani river and the Mahanadi delta rivers.
Left: Ghats on the Hooghly River in Calcutta, 1940s
The purpose of this act was to increase the national waterways of India from about 4,400 km to more than 18,000 km. However, there are challenges that include building waterways sustainably because the coastline is fragile and to generate resources for projects. So far only three ports have been monetised, out of which 13 have been identified. Overall, there has been less investment in inland waterways than in roads and railways. Inland waterways have also been neglected in successive five year plans. It is imperative to bring in the private sector to invest in this sector.
In 2021, the Inland Vessels Bill replaced the centuries-old Inland Vessels Act. At present, 13 national waterways are operational, carrying 55 million tonnes of cargo every year.