Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said that inland waterways are emerging as a sustainable mode of transportation to complement roadways and railways. He said that the government is committed to developing a robust inland water transport system, a PIB press release stated.
He said that this will boost economic growth and ensure efficient, sustainable transportation options for the nation. According to the minister, the cargo movement on national waterways has increased to more than 133 million tons annually, recording a growth rate of 22.1 percent over a period of ten years.
The minister said that IWAI aims to increase the modal share of freight movement through inland water transport from two percent to five percent and traffic volume to more than 200 million metric tonnes by 2047. The government is also planning to promote river cruise tourism in the country. Under this, an investment of Rs 45,000 crore has been planned for the development of river cruise tourism. The minister said that of this, Rs 35,000 crore has been earmarked for cruise vessels and the remaining Rs 10,000 crore for the development of cruise terminal infrastructure.