DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WATERWAY CORRIDORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reports that 111 inland waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016, of which 32 are currently operational for cargo and passenger movement. Based on the 2026‑27 budget and subsequent studies, 19 additional NWs have been identified for cruise tourism and passenger ferry services over the next five years. The annexure lists these new corridors with the fiscal year of implementation and the states concerned, e.g., NW‑49 (Jhelum River) in Jammu & Kashmir for FY 2026‑27, NW‑52 (Kali River) in Karnataka for FY 2027‑28, and NW‑98 (Sutlej River) spanning Himachal Pradesh & Punjab for FY 2030‑31. The Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, emphasized developing existing feasible NWs before declaring new ones.