Water transport is the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation. Unlike rail and road transport we do not have to construct water ways because rivers, seas, creeks are given by nature. Water transport plays an important role in international trade.
Recent Developments National Waterways Act, 2016
Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)
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Inland waterways in India consists of the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Barak river, the rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai and the deltaic regions of the Godavari – Krishna rivers.
Some Important National Waterways
1. National Waterway-1 (NW-1): This starts from Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad) to Haldia with a distance of 1620 km in total. The NW 1 run through the Ganga, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river system having fixed terminals at Haldia, Farrakka and Patna and floating terminals at most of the riverside cities like Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj. This is considered as the longest National Inland Waterway in India.
The Jal Marg Vikas Project The Jal Marg Vikas project for capacity augmentation of NW-1 from Haldia to Varanasi is being implemented, with the technical and financial support of the World Bank. Under this project, construction of three multimodal terminals, two intermodal terminals, one new navigational lock and works for fairway development, River Information System (RIS), vessel repair and maintenance facilities and Ro-Ro terminals are envisaged to be completed by December, 2022. |
2. National Waterway-2 (NW-2): This is a stretch on Brahmaputra River from Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam state. The NW-2 is one of the major freight transportation inland waterway system of NE India and is the third longest Inland Waterway in India with a total length of 891 km.
3. National Waterway-3 (NW-3): NW-3 aka the West Coast Canal is located in Kerala state and run from Kollam to Kottapuram. The 205 km long West Coast Canal is India’s first waterway with all-time navigation facility. The NW-3 consists of West Coast Canal, Champakara Canal and Udyogmandal Canal and runs through Kottappuram,Cherthala, Thrikkunnapuzha Kollam and Alappuzha.
4. National Waterway-4 (NW-4): This connects Kakinadato Pondicherry through Canals, Tanks and River Godavari along with Krishna River. The NW-4 is considered as the second longest waterway of India with total length of 1095 km.
5. National Waterway-5 (NW-5): This connects Odisha to West Bengal using the stretch on Brahmani River, East Coast Canal, Matai River and Mahanadi River Delta. This 623 km long canal system will handle the traffic of cargo such as coal, fertilizer, cement and iron.
6. National Waterway-6 (NW-6): This is the proposed waterway in Assam state that will connect Lakhimpur to Bhanga in river Barak. The 121 km long waterway will help in trading through town of Silchar (Assam) to Mizoram State.
Development of New National Waterways Based on the feasibility reports and technical viability, it has been decided to undertake development of 32 new NWs declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016, in the next three years. These include NW-16 (Barak), NW-68 (Mandovi), NW-111 (Zuari), NW-27 (Cumberjua), NW-40 (Ghagra), NW-37 (Gandak), NW-58 (Kosi) and NW-97 (Sundarbans). |
(a) National Perspective Plan (NPP)
The National Perspective Plan (NPP), for the comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector, has been prepared and was released at the maiden Maritime India Summit 2016, on 14th April, 2016. As per the National Perspective Plan, the programme envisages the following:
1. Port Modernisation and New Port Development: Augmenting the capacity of current port infrastructure and creating new ports is important to promote export driven growth. With massive cargo volume growth anticipated by 2025, there emerges a need for port upgradation and new infrastructure.
Government Initiatives for Coastal Shipping
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Government Initiatives for Ocean Transport
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2. Port Connectivity Enhancement: Enhancing port connectivity is quite a challenge in India, where trade connectivity is mostly based on road and rail infrastructure.
3. Port-linked Industrialisation: Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) have been proposed as economic regions hosting industrial clusters. CEZs are aimed at reducing time and costs required for Export/Import movement and domestic cargo, thus becoming a focal point of Port- linked industrialisation.
4. Coastal Community Development: Coastal communities are important stakeholders of developmental activities within coastal regions. With 72 coastal districts hosting 18% population of India, the development of these communities becomes an integral aspect of overall socio-economic development of the country.
(b) Inland Vessels Act (IV Act)
The existing Inland Vessels Act, 1917 has become absolute because of introduction of modern technology, change in size, type, capacity, propulsion, deck machineries, and automation in operation of powered vessels in Indian waters. There is, therefore, need to review the provisions of existing IV Act so as to rationalize the manning scale of vessels, training and education, and competency of manning staff and also to ensure statutory safety with regard to design, construction and operation of vessels. The Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), in its 15th meeting held on 16.11.2016, therefore, took a decision that a new IV Act should be enacted.
IWAI draft Bill on IV Act Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India. Its headquarters is located in Noida, UP.
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(c) Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016
The Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2016 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 16, 2016. The Bill repeals the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
Key Features of the Bill
National Maritime Agenda 2010-20