- Why in news
- PIB published an explainer on India's inland waterways on 27 April 2026. It notes 111 National Waterways, 32 operational as of March 2026, and the Union Budget 2026-27 plan to operationalise 20 more.
- What it is
- National Waterways are inland waterways declared by Parliament under the National Waterways Act, 2016, which lists 111 waterways. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) develops and regulates them for shipping and navigation. A declared waterway is not always operational; it needs surveys, fairway development and terminals first.
- Operational waterways
- As of March 2026, 32 National Waterways spanning 5,155 km are operational; the number is proposed to rise to 52 in five years.
- IWAI Act, 1985
- This Act created the Inland Waterways Authority of India to develop and regulate inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
- Cargo record
- Cargo on National Waterways reached 145.84 million tonnes in FY 2024-25.
- Legal basis
- The National Waterways Act, 2016 declared 111 National Waterways, replacing the earlier five.
- Sites
- Lighthouses will be at Bogibeel, Pandu, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat. Biswanath Ghat is the only one on the north bank.
- NW-2 length
- NW-2 runs from Dhubri to Sadiya over 891 km, the longest navigable stretch of any Indian waterway, as per the release.
- DGLL
- DGLL is the statutory authority for aids to navigation along India's 11,098 km coastline and now inland waterways.
- Institutional steps
- IWAI and DGLL signed an MoU on 8 April 2025. Sites were transferred to DGLL under Right of Use agreements in June 2025.
- NW-1
- NW-1 on the Ganga (Haldia-Prayagraj) was the first national waterway, declared in 1986.
- IWDC 3.0
- The third council meeting was held in Kochi and chaired by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. It follows IWDC 1.0 in 2024 and IWDC 2.0 in 2025.
- Growth in cargo and waterways
- Cargo on national waterways rose from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024-25. Operational waterways rose from 3 to 32.
- Number of national waterways
- There are 111 national waterways across 23 states and four union territories. IWAI under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the nodal agency.
- Jal Vahak scheme
- The cargo promotion scheme reimburses up to 35% of operating expenditure on cargo moved by inland waterways. It is valid initially for three years and is being explored for other waterways including Kerala.
Don’t confuse with IWAI Act, 1985 vs National Waterways Act, 2016: The 1985 Act set up IWAI; the 2016 Act declares the 111 National Waterways.
Don’t confuse with Operational vs declared waterways: 111 are declared as National Waterways, but only 32 are operational with fairway, terminals and navigational aids.
Don’t confuse with Declared vs operational: Declaring a waterway as national (by Parliament) is different from making it operational (by IWAI with infrastructure and cargo movement).
Don’t confuse with NW-1 vs NW-2 vs NW-3: NW-1 is the Ganga (Haldia-Prayagraj), NW-2 the Brahmaputra (Dhubri-Sadiya), NW-3 the West Coast Canal (Kollam-Kottapuram).
Don’t confuse with IWAI vs DGLL: IWAI develops and regulates national waterways; DGLL provides aids to navigation such as lighthouses. Both are under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Don’t confuse with IWAI vs IWDC: IWAI is the statutory authority that develops and regulates national waterways. IWDC is a Centre-State council that reviews projects and coordination.
Don’t confuse with NW-2 vs NW-1: NW-2 is the Brahmaputra (Sadiya to Dhubri). NW-1 is the Ganga (Haldia to Prayagraj).
Why it matters
- Inland waterways are cheaper and cleaner than road and rail for bulk cargo, and lower logistics costs.
- Inland water transport is cheaper and less polluting per tonne-km than road or rail, helping logistics cost reduction.
- Waterways in new regions like J&K, Goa, Kerala and Odisha add connectivity and local trade.
- Night navigation and weather sensors can support round-the-clock freight on NW-2.
- Cheaper, lower-carbon cargo movement helps the Northeast; lighthouses may also add tourism.
- Waterways are a fuel-efficient, low-emission mode that decongests roads and rail and lowers logistics costs.
- Northeast jetties and river cruises can improve connectivity and livelihoods of riverine communities.
Problems
- Only 32 of 111 declared waterways are operational; depth and low bridges limit vessel size, for example large cruise vessels reach only Patna on NW-1.
- Many listed stretches are short and seasonal, with low depth and limited cargo.
- Delays in dredging, terminals, land and environmental clearances keep declared waterways idle.
- Siltation, shifting channels and bank erosion of the Brahmaputra can limit navigation.
- Navigability depends on river depth, which needs regular dredging and varies with seasons.
- Projects need Centre-State coordination; states raised regulatory concerns at the meeting.
Way forward
- Sustain dredging, terminals and navigational aids, and use private investment and green vessels to meet the 2030 and 2047 cargo targets.
- Prioritise waterways with assured cargo and link them to rail, road and ports.
- Ensure year-round navigability through maintained fairways and assessed environmental impact.
- Extend navigational aids and terminals to other national waterways, with dredging and channel maintenance.
- Expand incentives like Jal Vahak and fixed-day scheduled sailing to build cargo volumes.
- Add terminals, digital navigation systems and green vessels to support year-round operations.
Put in your answer
Cargo growth: Cargo on National Waterways hit 145.84 MMT in FY 2024-25.
Modal share target: India targets raising IWT modal share from 2% to 5% and cargo above 200 MMT by 2030.
National Waterways Act, 2016: The Act raised declared national waterways to 111, giving legal basis for expansion.
NW-2 cargo growth: IWAI recorded a 53 percent rise in cargo on the Brahmaputra waterway in 2024–25.
Cost advantage: Minister's claim: a tonne of cargo by inland waterway costs about one-third of road and half of rail.
Cargo growth data: Cargo on national waterways grew from 18 to 145.84 million tonnes between 2013-14 and 2024-25.
Kochi Water Metro: Cited as a model of urban water transport to be replicated in cities such as Guwahati, Varanasi and Patna.
- 2016Mains GS1 · Q19Problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.
- 2017Mains GS1 · Q16Converting floods into irrigation and all-weather inland navigation sources.
- 2020Mains GS1 · Q14Critically examine river interlinking for droughts, floods, and navigation.
- 2026Prelims Q35Statements on Sagarmala Programme: port-led growth, waterway shipping, Sagarmala 2.0
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The National Waterways Act, 2016 declares 111 inland waterways as National Waterways.
- 2.The Inland Waterways Authority of India was established under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- 3.Under the Jalvahak Cargo Promotion Scheme, up to 35% of the actual operating cost of a waterway journey is reimbursed.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 9
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The National Waterways Act, 2016 declares 111 National Waterways.
True. The Act declares 111 waterways as National Waterways.
2.The Jalvahak scheme covers cargo services on NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16 via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route.
True. The scheme supports scheduled services on NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16.
3.NW-1 runs along the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system, from Haldia to Allahabad.
True. NW-1 is the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly system (Haldia-Allahabad).
4.The four river lighthouses on the Brahmaputra are the first lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in India.
True. The release calls them the country's first riverine lighthouses.
5.Of the four lighthouse sites on the Brahmaputra, Biswanath Ghat is the only one on the north bank.
True. Bogibeel, Pandu and Silghat are on the south bank.
6.NW-2 runs from Dhubri to Sadiya and is described as the longest navigable stretch among Indian waterways.
True. NW-2 is 891 km long, from Dhubri to Sadiya.
7.The statutory authority for providing aids to navigation, DGLL, functions under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
True. DGLL is under MoPSW and is a statutory authority for aids to navigation.
8.Each of the new lighthouses will be powered mainly by diesel generators with solar backup.
False. They will be powered entirely by solar energy.
9.The first national waterway, NW-1, was declared in 1986 on the Ganga between Haldia and Prayagraj.
True. NW-1 (Ganga, Haldia-Prayagraj) was declared in 1986.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.