India's National Waterways Operational Status and Development
India currently has 32 operational National Waterways with a total navigable length of 5155 km throughout the country. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has provided detailed operational and financial data covering the last five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Financial Allocation and Utilization
The government allocated and utilized significant funds for waterway development, with total spending of ₹425.43 crore in 2021-22, ₹514.77 crore in 2022-23, ₹969.63 crore in 2023-24, ₹1083.70 crore in 2024-25, and ₹1074.48 crore (unaudited) in 2025-26, totaling ₹4068.01 crore over five years. The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) received the largest allocation at ₹616.27 crore in 2025-26, followed by NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly Rivers) at ₹98.36 crore and NW-2 & NW-16 (Brahmaputra and Barak Rivers) at ₹232.46 crore.
Cargo Movement Performance
Cargo movement on National Waterways showed substantial growth, increasing from 108.79 MMT in 2021-22 to 218.24 MMT in 2025-26. NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly) saw remarkable growth from 10.93 MMT to 84.78 MMT during this period. Maharashtra waterways handled the highest cargo at 66.02 MMT in 2025-26, followed by Gujarat waterways at 34.81 MMT and Goa waterways at 6.70 MMT. Several newer waterways including NW-27 (Cumberjua River), NW-48 (Jawai-Luni River), and NW-53 (Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway) became operational with cargo volumes ranging from 0.36 MMT to 3.23 MMT.
Passenger Traffic Growth
Passenger traffic on National Waterways grew significantly from 76.38 million in 2024-25 to 105.57 million in 2025-26. NW-1 handled the highest passenger volume at 49.15 million, followed by NW-3 (Kerala) at 11.12 million and NW-2 (Assam) at 8.87 million. Ferry services are currently operational on 23 National Waterways across various states.
Infrastructure Development
Substantial infrastructure has been developed including 66 community jetties, 20 floating terminals, 3 Multi-Modal Terminals (MMT), 1 Inter-Modal Terminal (IMT), and 4 Ro-Pax terminals on NW-1. On NW-2, 13 floating terminals were provided along with MMTs at Pandu, Jogighopa and terminals at Bogibeel and Dhubri. Nine permanent IWT terminals with godowns and 2 Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax terminals were constructed on NW-3 in Kerala. Additional infrastructure includes 4 floating concrete jetties in Goa, 4 tourist jetties on NW-4, and 8 floating jetties on NW-110 in Mathura-Vrindavan stretch.
Policy Initiatives
The government has implemented several policy measures including the Jalvahak Scheme providing 35% incentive to promote inland waterways transport sector utilization at a cost of ₹95.42 crore for three years. The tonnage tax scheme was extended to inland vessels registered under the Indian Vessels Act, 2021. The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations 2025 was notified to allow private companies to invest and operate inland waterways infrastructure. Digital initiatives include Jalyan & Navic portal for vessel and crew registration. Additionally, more than 140 PSUs have been approached to plan cargo movement using IWT mode.