IWAI gives mega push to Uttar Pradesh’s Inland Waterways expansion goals

New Delhi, Nov 27 To step up Uttar Pradesh’s Inland Waterways network, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on Thursday said it has signed key agreements worth thousands of crores at the ‘India Maritime Week 2025’ (IMW) for the development and expansion of the Inland Waterways network in the state.

IWAI, the nodal agency under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), signed MoUs worth more than Rs 6,000 crore for the development and expansion of the Inland Waterways network on the river Ganga (NW 1).

IWAI also announced an investment boost of Rs 1,350 crore to accelerate inland water transport and river cruise infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, following the signing of MoUs during the ‘IMW 2025’.

The MoUs aim at strengthening river cruise tourism, ship repair infrastructure, multimodal connectivity and clean-energy transportation along National Waterway-1 (Ganga).

“These MoUs demonstrate how inland waterways are emerging as engines of growth, tourism and regional integration,” said Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, adding that the agreements reflect India’s commitment to modernising its river systems.

As part of the nationwide push that saw 25 MoUs inked to boost inland waterways development, Uttar Pradesh secured major commitments focused on expanding operations in Varanasi and along the Ganga corridor.

IWAI signed an agreement with Heritage River Journeys to develop, induct new cruise vessels and expand cruise tourism on national waterways. Another pact with Alaknanda Cruises will support the operation of cruise vessels on NW-1, enhancing premium river tourism and heritage circuits in Varanasi. A total of more than Rs 800 crores has been earmarked for these.

IWAI also entered into an MoU with the UP government for the development of a new ship repair facility in Varanasi, providing critical infrastructure and utilities support, with an investment of Rs 350 crore.

Two new river cruise terminals, with an investment of Rs 200 crore, will also be developed in Varanasi, improving passenger comforts and operational capacity at one of India’s fastest-growing cruise tourism destinations.

“As a result of the transformational policies initiated under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the IWT sector has experienced an unprecedented surge in terms of trade and transport since 2014,” said Sonowal.

To promote clean and sustainable river mobility, the state approved a project for electric vessel charging infrastructure, aligning with India’s National Green Shipping Mission and the vision for low-emission river transport.

A Rs 100 crore MoU will enable rollout of electric charging infrastructure for vessels, supporting the National Green Shipping Mission.

Another Rs 200 crore initiative to establish a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) in Varanasi focused on skill development. The new RCoE will promote research, skills training and innovation in inland water transport operations, vessel design and green technologies.

Moreover, a landmark MoU with Rhenus Logistics at Rs 1,000 crore will enable the induction of modern tug-barges on the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, significantly enhancing cargo transportation capacity and improving multimodal logistics efficiency.

A sum of Rs 1,500 crore has been earmarked under the MoU signed between IWAI and NTCPWC of IIT Madras for dredging works supervision on NW1 (Ganga).

Minister of State for MoPSW, Shantanu Thakur, said the partnerships in Uttar Pradesh will strengthen electric vessel infrastructure, ship repair capability and training ecosystems.

--IANS

na/dan

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor