The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), the apex meeting for policy deliberation for the promotion & propagation of inland waterways in India, witnessed major announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways. The second meeting of IWDC, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for development of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), announced investments of more than RS 50,000 crore in the next five years. A series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterway States were announced, worth more than Rs 1400 crore, on the occasion. The meeting was presided over by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.
The IWDC began with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony by the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, at Kohora in Kaziranga. The meet also witnessed ministerial participation of Union Minister of State for MoPSW, Shantanu Thakur; Ports Minister of Goa, Aleixo Sequeira; Transport Minister of Assam, Jogen Mohan; Transport Minister of Manipur, Khashim Vashum; Transport Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Satish Sharma; Transport Minister of Mizoram, Pu Vanlalhlana; and Transport Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Ojing Tasing, among others.
A major policy initiative in the form of the Riverine Community Development Scheme was mooted at the IWDC meet to improve the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities by developing infrastructure, promoting trade and tourism along with the riverine ecosystem, providing skill enrichment trainings, and upgrading traditional knowledge of the river of the communities in an attempt to upgrade the quality of lives of the people living by the banks of the National Waterways.
In a major boost to inland waterways transport in Andhra Pradesh, the Union Minister announced the setting up of SIX floating steel jetties on the Godavari River (NW 4) at Gandipochamma Temple, Pochavaram, Perantapalli village. A feasibility study on the Penna River (NW 79) was also announced along with the DPR of NW 4 to get additional inputs for development.
IWAI has endeavoured to develop NW-1, passing through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, as a reliable cargo logistics route under the Jal Marg Vikas Project with an investment of more than Rs 5000 crore. Arth Ganga program under the JMVP Project focuses on economic activities in & around the hinterland of river Ganga, empowering local communities through river transportation of goods and passengers, skill development and capacity developments.
With a view to increasing this growth further, the ‘Jalvahak’ scheme has been launched for incentivizing the movement of long-haul cargo via NW 1 (river Ganga) as well as for NW 2 (river Brahmaputra) and NW 16 (river Barak). Under this Jalvahak scheme, fixed scheduled service between Kolkata – Patna – Varanasi and back on NW 1 and between Kolkata and Pandu and back on NW 2 via IBPR has been launched. This scheme would empower our vessel operators and encourage our business enterprises with safe and timely delivery of cargo in a cost-effective manner. This scheme adds meaningfully to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji’s vision of transformation via transportation as India sails towards becoming a Viksit Bharat.
The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), set up in 2023, is an exercise to derive the maximum economic potential out of the inland water bodies; it requires exceptionally coordinated Centre-state relationships, collaborations and cooperation in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
