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India’s major waterways have seen a 5 per cent y-o-y increase in cargo for FY24 to 133.03 million tonnes (mt), with the Maharashtra Waterways network bearing the highest load, data from the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry show. Another ₹360 crore-odd is being spent towards development of new waterways in India.
In FY23, India’s National Waterways had carried around 126.15 mt of cargo.
“Over the last five years, cargo movement through India’s waterways are up over 80 per cent. In FY20, cargo movement across the entire national waterways network was 73.64 mt.,” a senior Shipping Ministry official, told businessline.
Major cargo movement mostly include coal – 30 per cent of the traffic, iron ore – which is around 35 per cent and fly-ash – which is 7 per cent.
Officials said, major coal and iron ore movement were mostly via the Shastri River (under NW-91) and Amba River (NW-10) in Maharashtra and via the Tapi River (NW-100) in Gujarat. Fly-ash movement is mostly via the Ganges (NW-1)and the India – Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route.
For FY24, the Maharashtra Waterways – which include NW10 (using the Amba River), NW83 (Rajpuri Creek), NW85 (Revadanda Creek – Jaigad Creek Syste) and NW91 (Shastri River – Jaigad Creek System) – handled 52 per cent of the traffic, or 68.66 mt.
Around 24 per cent of the cargo traffic or 32 mt came from waterways in Gujarat, that include the Tapi River (31.46 MT) covering the NW100 while 0.06 mt is via NW73 (Narmada river).
Another 24 per cent or 29.34 mt is via 18 other National Waterways that include the Bhagirathi – Hooghly – Ganges (NW1) that handled 12.82 MT; NW3 or West Coast Canal (3.29 MT), NW4 or Krishna – Godavari river system (4.30 mt), NW97 covering the Sunderabans (5.19 mt), among others. The Goa waterways – which include the two rivers – Zuari and Mandovi – handled 1.10 mt and 2.42 mt (total 3.52 mt) of cargo.
“IWAI has identified 26 new NWs through techno-economic feasibility studies for undertaking technical interventions to make the waterways navigable for transportation purposes,” Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Pots, Shipping and Waterways, recently said in the Rajya Sabha.
More investments
Incidentally, another ₹360 crore is as phase-1 investment towards development of 14 new National Waterways (NW).
Nearly 73 per cent of the investment, or ₹264 crore will be towards development of waterways in Assam, This include three projects covering ₹148 crore towards the NW16 covering River Barack, ₹84 crore for development of NW31 covering Dhansiri River and another ₹32 crore towards NW57 covering Kopili River.
Another ₹10 crore will be towards projects in Maharashtra – NW10 and NW28 – covering Rivers Amba and Dabhol Creek.
Another ₹65 crore will cover projects across Bengal and Bihar for development of NW86 (₹20 crore) along the River Rupnarayan, NW97 (₹20 crore) along Sundarbans, NW44 (₹10 crore) for development of River Ichamati and NW40 for development of River Ghagra in Bihar and UP.
The remaining, funds go towards development of rivers in Goa for ₹15 crore and another ₹6 crore for Kerala.
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