Efficient transportation is crucial for any country and for its economic growth. The 14,500 kilometres of navigable waterways in India, present huge opportunities as an economical mode of transportation. Considering the challenges in land acquisition for national and state highways and the rising cost of construction of road infrastructure, the government is aiming to utilise the potential of waterways. Under the National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 inland waterways (including five national waterways in India declared earlier) have been declared as ‘national waterways’.
The aim of the government is to promote inland water transport in India as an economical, environment-friendly and supplementary mode of transportation to rail and road. The development of national waterways is also expected to boost industrial growth of the hinterland along the waterways.
Development activities on 14 inland waterways have commenced and 26 such routes have been identified as viable for cargo movement, as per the Economic Survey 2022-23. West Bengal and Assam have the most navigable inland waterways at 4,500 km and 2,000 km, as per the survey.
On January 13 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones and inaugurated inland waterways projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore, including a multi-modal terminal in Haldia.
National waterways in India: Importance
The inland waterways in the country have been given importance for promoting the maritime development. For centuries, water bodies such as rivers and lakes have enabled easier navigation for smaller vessels to reach nearby places. This has also led to the development of commercial shipping on a large-scale near ports and coastal areas in India. Under the national waterways project, the government is aiming to develop shipping and navigation systems across all the 111 national waterways. This will help expand the cargo and passenger traffic, entailing tourism and cruise, providing easy connectivity. Besides, waterways are economical than rail and road, and relatively causes less pollution. Thus, it will also deliver cost-efficient and eco-friendly transportation.
As per the National Waterways Act, the central government will regulate these waterways, with the aim to develop shipping and navigation in an organised manner. There are plans to link the waterways with the eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), and the huge infrastructure projects like the ambitious Sagarmala Project, aimed at boosting the port-led direct and indirect development.
Since there is no continuous connectivity among the inland waterways, there is a need to develop multimodal network encompassing water bodies, roadways, bridges, culverts, etc. There are some ports or terminals that are being transformed into multi-modal transit hubs linking rail, road and waterways. The Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid will connect several national waterways with each other and with ports, roads, railways, etc.
A well-developed inland waterways network can greatly improve the logistics setup in India. Besides, waterways eliminate the challenges of land acquisition and help save on the investments made to develop roads infrastructure and highways network in the country.
What are national waterways?
There are 111 inland waterways declared as National Waterways in India under the National Waterways Act, 2016. With numerous river bodies, backwaters, canals, and creeks, India enjoys an expansive inland waterways network. However, these inland waterways have remained unutilised, as compared to other countries in the world. The National Waterways Act proposed 106 additional national waterways to the five national waterways declared earlier. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory authority, was established with the objective of developing and regulating the inland waterways for shipping and navigation purposes. The authority undertakes the responsibility of managing and executing the national waterways projects, to boost the water transportation in the country.
National waterways in India: Complete list
| National waterway no. (Rashtriya Jal Marg no.) | Length (in kilometres)
|
Location details |
| National Waterway 1
States: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal |
1,620 | Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad). |
| National Waterway 2
State: Assam |
891 | Brahmaputra River (Dhubri – Sadiya) |
| National Waterway 3
State: Kerala |
205 | West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals |
| 170 | West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kozhikode) | |
| National Waterway 4
States: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and Maharashtra |
50 | Kakinada Canal (Kakinada to Rajahmundry) |
| 171 | Godavari river (Bhadrachalam to Rajahmundry) | |
| 139 | Eluru Canal (Rajahmundry to Vijayawada) | |
| 157 | Krishna river (Wazirabad to Vijayawada) | |
| 113 | Commamur Canal (Vijayawada to Peddaganjam) | |
| 110 | South Buckingham canal (Central Station of Chennai to Marakanam) | |
| 22 | Marakanam to Puducherry through Kaluvelly tank | |
| 1,202 | River Godavari (Bhadrachalam – Nashik) | |
| 636 | River Krishna (Wazirabad – Galagali) | |
| National Waterway 5
States: Odisha and West Bengal |
256 | East Coast Canal and Matai river |
| 265 | Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra rivers | |
| 67 | Mahanadi delta rivers (Consisting of Hansua river, Nunanala, Gobrinala, Kharnasi river and Mahanadi river) | |
| National Waterway 6
State: Assam |
68 | Aai River |
| National Waterway 7
State: West Bengal |
90 | Ajoy (Ajay) River |
| National Waterway 8
State: Kerala |
29 | Alappuzha- Changanassery Canal |
| National Waterway 9
State: Kerala, Alternate route: 11.5 kilometre |
40 | Alappuzha- Kottayam – Athirampuzha Canal |
| National Waterway 10
State: Maharashtra |
45 | Amba River |
| National Waterway 11
State: Maharashtra |
99 | Arunawati – Aran River System |
| National Waterway 12
State: Uttar Pradesh |
5.5 | Asi River |
| National Waterway 13
State: Kerala and Tamil Nadu |
11 | Avm Canal |
| National Waterway 14
State: Odisha |
48 | Baitarni River |
| National Waterway 15
State: West Bengal |
135 | Bakreswar – Mayurakshi River System |
| National Waterway 16
State: Assam |
121 | Barak River |
| National Waterway 17
State: Himachal Pradesh and Punjab |
189 | Beas River |
| National Waterway 18
State: Assam |
69 | Beki River |
| National Waterway 19
State: Uttar Pradesh |
67 | Betwa River |
| National Waterway 20
State: Tamil Nadu |
95 | Bhavani River |
| National Waterway 21
State: Karnataka and Telangana |
139 | Bheema River |
| National Waterway 22
State: Odisha |
156 | Birupa – BadiGenguti – Brahmani River System |
| National Waterway 23
State: Odisha |
56 | BudhaBalanga |
| National Waterway 24
State: Uttar Pradesh |
61 | Chambal River |
| National Waterway 25
State: Goa |
33 | Chapora River |
| National Waterway 26
State: Jammu and Kashmir |
51 | Chenab River |
| National Waterway 27
State: Goa |
17 | Cumberjua River |
| National Waterway 28
State: Maharashtra |
45 | Dabhol Creek -Vashishti River System |
| National Waterway 29
State: West Bengal |
132 | Damodar River |
| National Waterway 30
State: Assam |
109 | Dehing River |
| National Waterway 31
State: Assam |
114 | Dhansiri / Chathe |
| National Waterway 32
State: Assam |
63 | Dikhu River |
| National Waterway 33
State: Assam |
61 | Doyans River |
| National Waterway 34
State: West Bengal |
137 | Dvc Canal |
| National Waterway 35
State: West Bengal |
108 | Dwarekeswar River |
| National Waterway 36
State: West Bengal |
119 | Dwarka River |
| National Waterway 37
State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh |
296 | Gandak River |
| National Waterway 38
State: Assam and West Bengal |
62 | Gangadhar River |
| National Waterway 39
State: Meghalaya |
49 | Ganol River |
| National Waterway 40
State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh |
354 | Ghaghra River |
| National Waterway 41
State: Karnataka |
112 | Ghataprabha River |
| National Waterway 42
State: Uttar Pradesh |
514 | Gomti River |
| National Waterway 43
State: Karnataka |
10 | Gurupur River |
| National Waterway 44
State: West Bengal |
63 | Ichamati River |
| National Waterway 45
State: Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan |
650 | Indira Gandhi Canal |
| National Waterway 46
State: Jammu and Kashmir |
35 | Indus River |
| National Waterway 47
State: West Bengal |
131 | Jalangi River |
| National Waterway 48
State: Gujarat and Rajasthan |
590 | Jawai-Luni-Rann Of Kutch River System |
| National Waterway 49
State: Jammu and Kashmir |
110 | Jhelum River |
| National Waterway 50
State: Assam and Meghalaya |
43 | Jinjiram River |
| National Waterway 51
State: Karnataka |
23 | Kabini River |
| National Waterway 52
State: Karnataka |
53 | Kali River |
| National Waterway 53
State: Maharashtra |
145 | Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek And Ulhas River System |
| National Waterway 54
State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh |
86 | Karamnasa River |
| National Waterway 55
State: Tamil Nadu |
311 | Kaveri – Kollidam River System |
| National Waterway 56
State: Jharkhand |
22 | Kherkai River |
| National Waterway 57
State: Assam |
50 | Kopili River |
| National Waterway 58
State: Bihar |
236 | Kosi River |
| National Waterway 59
State: Kerala |
19 | Kottayam-Vaikom Canal |
| National Waterway 60
State: West Bengal |
80 | Kumari River |
| National Waterway 61
State: Meghalaya |
28 | Kynshi River |
| National Waterway 62
State: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh |
86 | Lohit River |
| National Waterway 63
State: Rajasthan |
336 | Luni River |
| National Waterway 64
State: Odisha |
426 | Mahanadi River |
| National Waterway 65
State: West Bengal |
80 | Mahananda River |
| National Waterway 66
State: Gujarat |
247 | Mahi River |
| National Waterway 67
State: Karnataka |
94 | Malaprabha River |
| National Waterway 68
State: Goa |
41 | Mandovi River |
| National Waterway 69
State: Tamil Nadu |
5 | Manimutharu River |
| National Waterway 70
State: Maharashtra and Telangana |
245 | Manjara River |
| National Waterway 71
State: Goa |
27 | Mapusa / Moide River |
| National Waterway 72
State: Maharashtra |
59 | Nag River |
| National Waterway 73
State: Maharashtra and Gujarat |
226 | Narmada River |
| National Waterway 74
State: Karnataka |
79 | Netravathi River |
| National Waterway 75
State: Tamil Nadu |
142 | Palar River |
| National Waterway 76
State: Karnataka |
23 | Panchagangavali (Panchagangoli) River |
| National Waterway 77
State: Tamil Nadu |
20 | Pazhyar River |
| National Waterway 78
State: Maharashtra and Telangana |
262 | Penganaga – Wardha River System |
| National Waterway 79
State: Andhra Pradesh |
28 | Pennar River |
| National Waterway 80
State: Tamil Nadu |
126 | Ponniyar River |
| National Waterway 81
State: Bihar |
35 | Punpun River |
| National Waterway 82
State: Assam |
58 | Puthimari River |
| National Waterway 83
State: Maharashtra |
31 | Rajpuri Creek |
| National Waterway 84
State: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab |
44 | Ravi River |
| National Waterway 85
State: Maharashtra |
31 | Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System |
| National Waterway 86
State: West Bengal |
72 | Rupnarayan River |
| National Waterway 87
State: Gujarat |
210 | Sabarmati River |
| National Waterway 88
State: Goa |
14 | Sal River |
| National Waterway 89
State: Maharashtra |
45 | Savitri River (Bankot Creek) |
| National Waterway 90
State: Karnataka |
29 | Sharavati River |
| National Waterway 91
State: Maharashtra |
52 | Shastri River – Jaigad Creek System |
| National Waterway 92
State: West Bengal |
26 | Silabati River |
| National Waterway 93
State: Meghalaya |
63 | Simsang River |
| National Waterway 94
State: Bihar |
141 | Sone River |
| National Waterway 95
State: Assam |
106 | Subansiri River |
| National Waterway 95
State: Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha |
311 | Subarnrekha River |
| National Waterway 97
State: West Bengal |
172 | Sunderbans Waterway |
| 56 | Bidya River | |
| 15 | ChhotaKalagachi (ChhotoKalergachi) River | |
| 7 | Gomar River | |
| 16 | Haribhanga River | |
| 37 | Hogla (Hogal)-Pathankhali River | |
| 9 | Kalindi (Kalandi) River | |
| 22 | Katakhali River | |
| 99 | Matla River | |
| 28 | Muri Ganga (Baratala) River | |
| 53 | Raimangal River | |
| 14 | Sahibkhali (Sahebkhali) River | |
| 37 | Saptamukhi River | |
| 64 | Thakurran River | |
| National Waterway 98
State: Himachal Pradesh and Punjab |
377 | Sutlej River |
| National Waterway 99
State: Tamil Nadu |
62 | Tamaraparani River |
| National Waterway 100
State: Maharashtra and Gujarat |
436 | Tapi River |
| National Waterway 101
State: Nagaland |
42 | Tizu – Zungki Rivers |
| National Waterway 102
State: Assam and Mizoram |
87 | Tlwang (Dhaleswari River) |
| National Waterway 103
State: Uttar Pradesh |
73 | Tons River |
| National Waterway 104
State: Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh |
232 | Tungabhadra River |
| National Waterway 105
State: Karnataka |
15 | Udayavara River |
| National Waterway 106
State: Meghalaya |
20 | Umngot (Dawki) River |
| National Waterway 107
State: Tamil Nadu |
46 | Vaigai River |
| National Waterway 108
State: Uttar Pradesh |
53 | Varuna River |
| National Waterway 109
State: Maharashtra and Telangana |
166 | Wainganga – Pranahita
River System |
| National Waterway 110
State: Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh |
1,080 | Yamuna River |
| National Waterway 111
State: Goa |
50 | Zuari River |
See also: How waterways can boost connectivity and growth in the MMR
Operational national waterways of India
The following 13 national waterways, out of the 111 national waterways, are operational for shipping and navigation:
- National Waterway 1: Ganga-Bhagirathi – Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad)
- National Waterway 2: Brahmaputra River (Dhubri – Sadiya)
- National Waterway 3: West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals
- National Waterway 4: Phase – 1 development of the stretch Muktiyala to Vijayawada of river Krishna
- National Waterway 10: Amba River
- National Waterway 83: Rajpuri Creek
- National Waterway 85: Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System
- National Waterway 91: Shastri river – Jaigad creek system
- National Waterway 68: Mandovi – Usgaon Bridge to the Arabian Sea spanning 41 kilometres
- National Waterway 111: Zuari – Sanvordem Bridge to Marmugao Port spanning 50 kilometres
- National Waterway 73: Narmada river
- National Waterway 100: Tapi river
- National Waterway 97 or Sunderbans Waterways: Namkhana to AtharaBankiKhal in West Bengal
See also: All about the Bharatmala Pariyojana
About Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is responsible for the development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. Launched in October 1986, the Noida-headquartered Authority has regional offices across different cities. It mainly undertakes projects for developing and maintaining the Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on national waterways through grants from the Shipping Ministry.
The RITES Report of 2014 on Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid, highlighted fuel efficiency and cost savings as some important benefits of the IWT mode, as compared to rail and road transportation.
The Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid is a study undertaken by IWAI through RITES Limited, a consultancy agency, with the objective of linking all national waterways to national/state highways, railways and ports, to make them an integral part of the total transportation grid. The estimated cost of the overall project is Rs 22,763 crores. It was planned for implementation under two phases, phase 1 (2015-18) and phase 2 (2018-23).
See also: All about the Ken Betwa link project
National waterways: Latest news
Govt to develop Nehru Port as smart port within a year: Sonowal
May 26, 2023: The ports, shipping and waterways minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, has said that the government will develop the port Jawaharlal Nehru Port as a fully smart port within a year, mentioned media reports. He also said the government aims to make it a fully electronically connected system for better services. The minister further said that the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has seen 29 industrial units coming up in its SEZ under the Sagarmala Project. The SEZ project at JNPA is built under the port-led industrialisation plan on 277 hectare of freehold land by the JN Port, incorporating the land use plan of the port.
Waterways to connect seven historical sites in Guwahati
May 19, 2023: Seven historic temples in Guwahati – – Kamakhya, Pandunath, Ashwaklanta, Doul Govinda, Umananda, Chakreshwar and Auniati Satra – will soon be connected through a ‘Riverine-based tourism Circuit under the Sagarmala project. The circuit will sail from Hanuman Ghat, Uzan Bazar and complete its journey by covering these sites through waterways. The ferry service will cut travel time to less than two hours for covering one complete circuit.
On May 19, 2023, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the ‘Riverine-based tourism Circuit’ being developed over the river Brahmaputra will be signed among the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), the Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC) and the Directorate of Inland Water Transport (DIWT) Assam in Guwahati The project is being developed at an initial cost of Rs 40-45 crore.
Update on February 21, 2022
According to the official government report, based on the outcome of techno-economic feasibility and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of NWs (National Waterways), 25 national waterways have been found viable by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for cargo/ passenger movement. Developmental activities have been initiated in 13 national waterways.
For development of the stretch between Vijayawada to Muktayala in Krishna River of National Waterway 4 in Andhra Pradesh, a budget of Rs 96 has been sanctioned.
National waterways 1 opens, first cargo vessel of IWAI flagged off from Patna
On February 5, 2022, Union Minister for ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, flagged off the first cargo vessel of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains, from Patna to Pandu in Guwahati through rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra via Bangladesh. The vessel will sail through the national waterways 1.
Update on October 29, 2021
Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)
The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) was undertaken by the IWAI, for capacity augmentation of navigation on National Waterway 1 from Haldia to Varanasi, spanning a length of 1,390 kms. It was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on January 3, 2018. The project, being developed with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank, has an estimated cost of Rs 5,369 crores. The first multi-modal terminal on the Ganga in Varanasi was inaugurated under the project in November 2018.
Indian government introduces the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021
To promote economical and safe transportation and to bring uniformity in the law relating to inland waterways and navigation in India, the government introduced the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2021. It aims to provide safe navigation, protection of life and cargo and prevention of pollution due to the use of inland vessels. According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the bill will bring transparency and accountability to the administration of inland water transportation, strengthen procedures governing inland vessels, their construction, survey, registration, manning and navigation, and other related matters. One of the key features of the bill, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act of 1917, is the formation of a unified law for the country, instead of separate rules formulated by states.
See also: All about the Ram Setu between India and Sri Lanka
FAQs
There are a total of 111 inland waterways which have been declared as National Waterways in India.
The longest national waterway is the National Waterway 1 or the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system, running from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal and covers a length of 1,620 kilometres.
The first national waterways in India or the National Waterway 1 is the Ganga-Bhagirathi – Hooghly River System from Haldia to Allahabad.
The West Coast Canal or National Waterway 3 is in Kerala spanning a length of 205 kilometres.
The Manimutharu River in Tamil Nadu or the National Waterway 69 is the shortest national waterway in India. How many national waterways are in India?
Which is the longest national waterway?
Which is the first national waterways in India?
Where is National Waterway 3?
Which is the shortest national waterway?
Harini is a content management professional with over 12 years of experience. She has contributed articles for various domains, including real estate, finance, health and travel insurance and e-governance. She has in-depth experience in writing well-researched articles on property trends, infrastructure, taxation, real estate projects and related topics. A Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physics, Harini prefers reading motivational books and keeping abreast of the latest developments in the real estate sector.
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