THE Centre has set a target to operationalise 76 waterways by 2027, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said.
Chairing the Consultative Committee meeting on Inland Waterways Transport held in Mumbai recently, Sonowal also projected that cargo traffic is expected to grow significantly to 156 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2026, inching closer to the Maritime India Vision 2030 target of 200 MTPA.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) presented a detailed overview of ongoing projects and upcoming initiatives, highlighting major infrastructure developments across the country’s inland waterways network. According to a statement from the Ministry, inland water transport coverage will expand from 11 states in FY 2024 to 23 states and 4 Union Territories by FY 2027. To support this growth, the government has already launched or announced projects worth ₹1,400 crore, as revealed during the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting in January 2025.
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance navigability, IWAI is conducting 10,000 km of monthly longitudinal surveys to assess the Least Available Depth (LAD) for vessels.
