Why in the News?
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated the 3rd Global IALA Council Session in Mumbai and launched a Digital Ticketing Portal for Lighthouse Tourism. Over 30 countries are participating in the high-level global event, held from 8–12 December 2025.
About IALA (International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities)
- A non-profit international body that sets global standards for marine aids to navigation.
- Works in areas such as:
- AtoN systems
- VTS standards
- e-Navigation frameworks
- Promotes harmonisation of navigation technologies across member states.
- India is a long-standing member and host of the 3rd Council session.
| India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect (2025)
(a) India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran
(b) India to Central Asia via China
(c) India to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar
(d) India to Europe through Azerbaijan |
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
Why in the News?
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, upgraded its sub-office in Varanasi to a full-fledged Regional Office. This move aims to strengthen the implementation of Inland Water Transport (IWT) activities in National Waterway-1 (NW-1), covering the Ganga River, and other waterways in Uttar Pradesh.
IWAI’s Regional Expansion:
- Varanasi becomes IWAI’s 6th regional office, joining those in Guwahati, Patna, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata.
- Capacity augmentation is also underway for NW-2 (Brahmaputra River), NW-3 (West Coast Canal), and NW-16 (Barak River).
Important Projects by IWAI:
- Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP): A World Bank-supported initiative aimed at capacity augmentation of NW-1 through:
- River conservancy works like bandalling and maintenance dredging.
- Construction of key infrastructure, including:
- Multi-Modal Terminals (MMTs): Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia.
- Inter-Modal Terminal: Kalughat.
- Navigational Lock: Farakka, West Bengal.
- Development of 60 community jetties across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to support local communities like farmers, artisans, and fishermen.
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About Inland Waterways Authority of India
- Established in 1986 under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985.
- Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- Objective: To reduce the underutilization of India’s 14,500 kilometers of navigable waterways, which account for just 2% of the transportation mix.
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- Responsible for regulating and developing inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
- Develops and maintains Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on national waterways with grants from the Ministry of Shipping.
- Ensures safe and efficient navigation to integrate waterways into the national transport system.
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- Planning and Execution: Implements and maintains navigation and shipping infrastructure projects.
- National Waterways Management: Oversees 111 national waterways under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- Infrastructure Development: Focuses on dredging, terminal construction, and maintaining year-round navigability for vessels.
PYQ:
[2016] Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India. |
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRTandNS), National Waterways
Why in the News?
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), has introduced the National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRT&NS), a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring safe, efficient, and sustainable navigation along India’s inland waterways.
About National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRT&NS)
- The NRT&NS aims to modernize and enhance the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of inland water transport.
- It leverages real-time data and technology to optimize navigation on India’s National Waterways, supporting eco-friendly and cost-effective transport for goods and passengers.
- Key Features:
- Real-time monitoring using GPS and GIS for safe vessel navigation.
- Centralized traffic control centers for efficient operations.
- Digital platforms for route planning, cargo tracking, and alerts.
- Integrated infrastructure to streamline operations and reduce delays.
- Focus on sustainability, economic growth, and capacity building in the inland water transport sector.
- The system is being deployed across India’s National Waterways, including:
- NW 1 (River Ganga): Key cargo routes from Haldia to Varanasi.
- NW 2 (River Brahmaputra): Major transport corridor in the Northeast.
- NW 3 (West Coast Canal, Champakara Canal, and Udyogmandal Canal), NW 4 (Krishna and Godavari), and NW 5 (Mahanadi rivers and its tributaries): Supporting regional trade and tourism.
Status of Inland Waterways in India
- India has a vast network of 14,500 km of navigable waterways, including 111 declared National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- Key Highlights:
- Increase in Operational Waterways: The number of operational NWs has increased by 767% since 2014.
- Cargo Traffic Growth: Cargo traffic rose from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 133 million tonnes in 2023-24, achieving a CAGR of over 22%.
- Infrastructure Investments: Investments in NW development increased by 233% post-2014, supported by projects like:
- Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP): Focused on NW 1 (Ganga).
- Arth Ganga: Empowering local communities through economic activities along NW 1.
- Tourism Growth: River cruise tourism expanded significantly, with 25 cruise vessels operational in 2023-24, up from 3 in 2013-14.
- Challenges: Despite this, the share of IWT in India’s overall transport mix remains relatively low compared to global standards.
PYQ:
[2016] Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India. |
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Three Gorges project
Mains level: India’s stationary course in the shipping value chain
Central idea
The article explores the contrasting trajectories of China and India in the maritime industry, emphasizing China’s dominance in shipbuilding and India’s focus on seafaring labor and ship management. It underscores the missed opportunities for India in shipbuilding, leading to a decline in its global maritime standing. The absence of a strategic focus on shipbuilding and the decline of state-owned enterprises pose challenges for India’s maritime growth.
Key Highlights:
- The Yangtze River, deeply embedded in China’s history, serves as a blend of tradition, culture, and modern commerce, symbolized by the Three Gorges project.
- China’s maritime success, highlighted by its dominance in shipbuilding, stands in contrast to India’s focus on seafaring labor and ship management.
- India, once ahead in maritime endeavors, faces challenges as its shipbuilding capabilities lag, impacting the overall growth of the shipping industry.
Key Challenges:
- India’s maritime industry confronts limitations in shipbuilding, ownership, and financing, contributing to a decline in its global standing.
- The absence of a strategic focus on shipbuilding, coupled with the decline of the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India, has hindered India’s maritime progress.
Key Terms:
- Three Gorges project: A monumental hydropower initiative on the Yangtze River, symbolizing China’s modern engineering achievements.
- Seafarer: An individual engaged in maritime activities, such as navigation, on vessels like ships and boats.
Key Quotes:
- “China, by 2020, was making half of all ships in the world,” a stark contrast to India’s negligible share in shipbuilding.
- “Indian seafarers and their management companies contribute an estimated $6 billion in foreign exchange annually.“
- “India’s Maritime India Vision 2030 lacks a clear plan for shipbuilding and owning,” hindering its growth in the maritime industry.
Key Statements:
- The article underscores the transformative significance of the Three Gorges project, symbolizing China’s advancement in modern engineering.
- India’s historical lead in maritime activities has been overshadowed by its limited involvement in shipbuilding and related sectors.
Key Examples and References:
- The Three Gorges project exemplifies China’s commitment to modern infrastructure and technological prowess.
- The decline of the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India serves as a reference point for India’s challenges in sustaining its maritime industry.
Key Facts and Data:
- China, contributing to 50% of global ship production by 2020, reflects its dominance in the shipbuilding sector.
- Indian seafarers and their management companies collectively contribute an estimated $6 billion in foreign exchange annually.
Critical Analysis:
- The critical analysis emphasizes the missed opportunities for India in the shipbuilding sector and the resultant impact on its overall maritime growth.
- The decline of the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India is presented as a significant factor influencing India’s maritime capabilities.
Way Forward:
- The article suggests that India should strategically prioritize shipbuilding to enhance its global maritime presence, emphasizing economic and strategic benefits.
- An integrated approach to shipbuilding would not only contribute to economic growth but also strengthen India’s naval capabilities, enhancing its geopolitical standing.
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Inland Waterways
Mains level: Innlad water transit and its significance
- Month after setting sail on the Ganga from Patna, a vessel carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains for the Food Corporation of India (FCI), docked at Guwahati’s Pandu port on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra.
- The occasion is believed to have taken inland water transport, on two of India’s largest river systems, to the future.
Why is a Ganga-Brahmaputra cargo vessel in focus?
- There is nothing unusual about a cargo vessel setting sail from or docking at any river port.
- This has rekindled hope for the inland water transport system which the landlocked northeast depended on heavily before India’s independence in 1947.
Inland water service: A necessity for the NE
- Seamless cargo transportation has been a necessity for the northeast.
- Around Independence, Assam’s per capita income was the highest in the country.
- This was primarily because of access for its tea, timber, coal and oil industries to seaports on the Bay of Bengal via the Brahmaputra and the Barak River (southern Assam) systems.
- Ferry services continued sporadically after 1947 but stopped after the 1965 war with Pakistan, as Bangladesh used to be East Pakistan then.
- The scenario changed after the river routes were cut off and rail and road through the “Chicken’s Neck”, a narrow strip in West Bengal, became costlier alternatives.
- The start of cargo movement through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route is going to provide the business community a viable, economic and ecological alternative.
How did the water cargo service through Bangladesh come about?
- The resumption of cargo transport service through the waterways in Bangladesh has come at a cost since the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade was signed between the two countries.
- India has invested 80% of ₹305.84 crore to improve the navigability of the two stretches of the IBP (Indo-Bangladesh Protocol) routes — Sirajganj-Daikhowa and Ashuganj-Zakiganj in Bangladesh.
- The seven-year dredging project on these two stretches till 2026 is expected to yield seamless navigation to the north-eastern region.
- With this, the distance between NW1 and NW2 will reduce by almost 1,000 km once the IBP routes are cleared for navigation.
Policy boosts to IWs
- The Government has undertaken the Jal Marg Vikas project with an investment of ₹4,600-crore to augment the capacity of NW1 for sustainable movement of vessels weighing up to 2,000 tonnes.
- Sailors who made the cargo trips possible have had difficulties steering clear of fishing nets and angry fishermen in Bangladesh.
- These hiccups will get sorted out with time.
Why go for IWT?
- Inland Water Transport (IWT) is a fuel-efficient, environment friendly and cost effective mode of transport having potential to supplement the over-burdened rail and congested roads.
- It is a boon where road transport is least feasible.
Back2Basics: Inland Waterways
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Assam Inland Water Transport Project
Mains level: Inland water transport in India
India and the World Bank signed a loan agreement of $88 million for Assam Inland Water Transport Project.
Assam Inland Water Transport Project
- A majority of Assam’s more than 361 ferry routes cross the Brahmaputra or serve its islands, providing a crucial means of transport to thousands of commuters in both the urban and rural areas of the Brahmaputra Valley.
- The project will draw guidance from ‘working with nature’ principles that aim to design new infrastructure or rehabilitate existing infrastructure in a way that works with natural river processes.
- The terminals will have better access, lighting and signage while the new vessels will allow for individual seats, and separate toilets. Moreover, a strengthened regulatory regime will ensure reduction in overloading, adherence to time schedule and better crew standards.
- The Project will help Assam improve the passenger ferry infrastructure and its services and strengthen the capacity of the institutions running the inland water transport.
Significance
- Inland Water Transport is also a more sustainable mode of transport. And Assam has the largest network of navigable waterways in India.
- It provides low-carbon and low-cost options when compared to the cost of constructing and maintaining flood-resilient roads and bridges across the long stretches of the Brahmaputra river.
- Technically better-designed terminals and energy-efficient vessels (both new and retrofitted) will make the ferry services more sustainable with least disruption to nature.
