Over ₹3000 crore to be invested for development of NW2, NW16 and IBPR by 2030, says Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced on Friday that over ₹3,000 crore will be invested in the development of National Waterways 2 (NW2), National Waterways 16 (NW16), and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) by 2030.

The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) held its second meeting in Kaziranga, Assam, focused on policy deliberation to promote and enhance inland waterways in India. The meeting, organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for waterways development under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW), announced an investment of more than ₹50,000 crore over the next five years. This includes a series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterway States worth over ₹1,400 crore. The meeting was presided over by Sonowal.

During his speech, Sonowal stated, “The IWDC has initiated a new approach to cooperative federalism, allowing both the Union and state governments to discuss, deliberate, and address various aspects of strengthening inland waterways. Historically, inland waterways have played a vital role in civilization, but their development has been overlooked until 2014. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working to rejuvenate the support system for inland waterways to alleviate congestion on railways and roadways, while providing a viable, economic, sustainable, and efficient mode of transportation for both passengers and cargo operators.”

The IWDC aimed to propose solutions to overcome challenges and unlock economic development opportunities, with plans to launch 1,000 green vessels.

Sonowal further added, “Major projects to upgrade Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) were conceived at this meeting. To build a robust IWT framework in the country, the government plans to develop shipbuilding and ship repair facilities across all national waterways. This initiative is expected to reduce logistics costs, boost ancillary industries, and create employment opportunities for riparian communities.