The water transport is one of the oldest means of transport in India. Waterways are the cheapest means of transport and are most suitable for carrying low cost heavy and bulky materials to long distances. It is a fuel- efficient and environment friendly mode of transport. Waterways are of two” types—a. Inland waterways, and b. Seaways or Oceanways.
The Inland Waterways:
The inland waterways refer to using inland water bodies, such as rivers, canals, creeks, backwaters, etc. for transporting goods and people from one place to another. A number of rivers, like Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi, etc. were the main arteries of inland waterways in India.
The decline of river transport began with the development of roads and railways. The diversion of river water to irrigation canals made many of these rivers unsuitable for navigation. At present, the inland waterways in India are about 14,500 km in length. Out of this about 3,700 km are navigable by mechanised boats.
Image Source: india-wris.nrsc.gov.in
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In order to increase the significance of inland waterways and to improve their efficiency, the Inland Waterways Authority of India. (IWAI) was set up in 1986. The following inland waterways have been declared is the National Waterways by the IWAI.
NW-1:
The Ganga River between Allahabad-Haldia (1,620 km long). It is navigable upto Patna by mechanized boats and by ordinary boats upto Haridwar.
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NW-2:
The Brahmaputra River between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km long). It is navigable by steamers upto Dibrugarh and is shared by India and Bangladesh.
NW-3:
The West Coast Canal in Kerala between Kottapuram and Kollam (205 km long).
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The Inland Waterway Authority of India has also identified ten other inland waterways, which could be upgraded and developed. These include:
i. The Barak River,
ii. The delta and lower courses of the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna rivers,
iii. The lower courses of Narmada and Tapi rivers,
iv. The Zuari and Mandavi rivers in Goa,
v. The backwaters and lagoons in Kerala, and
vi. The Buckingham Canal in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest length of inland waterways, followed by West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala and Bihar.
The IWAI has drawn up a 20 year plan for the development of inland water transport in India.
The role of private sector will be focused on the fleet of vessels and warehousing facilities. The central and state governments will take up the dredging and desalting works, besides building the barrages and terminals.