On 8th January 2024, the first meeting of Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), chaired by the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways(MoPSW), committed an investment of Rs 45,000 crore for development of river cruise tourism in India.
- Rs 35,000 crore of this sum has been allocated for cruise vessels and Rs 10,000 crore is set aside for development of cruise terminal infrastructure by 2047(end of Amrit Kaal).
- The Union Minister also launched ‘Harit Nauka– Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels’ and ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047’ during the meet.
About the Meeting:
i.The meeting was held on board vessel MV Ganges Queen at the Kolkata Dock Complex in Kolkata, West Bengal.
ii.The meeting was organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI), nodal agency for inland waterways in India, under MoPSW.
Key Points:
i.River cruise tourism will enable inland waterways to aid in economic growth and commerce in India.
ii.It should be noted that in October 2023, an investment of Rs 15,200 crore was made at the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) held in Mumbai, Maharashtra to boost inland waterways for cargo trade, anticipating a growth rate exceeding 400%, reaching 500 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) by 2047.
About Harit Nauka:
These guidelines aim to contribute to sustainable development for inland waterways by encouraging eco-friedly practices. These are with broader environmental objectives and sustainable development goals.
River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047:
i.To expand the capacity in 26 additional waterways for River Cruise tourism, increasing from 8 operational waterways.
ii.Increase the number of cruise circuits with night stays from 17 to 80.
iii.Enhance inland waterway infrastructure by raising the number of river cruise terminals from 15 to 185, marking a 1233% growth.
iv.To elevate cruise tourism traffic with night stays from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh by 2047.
- While the local cruise tourism traffic on National Waterways without night stays will be increased from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047.
Points to note
i.The MoPSW efforts aim to boost Inland Water Transport (IWT) modal share from 2% to 5%, with a goal to increase cargo volume from ~120 MTPA to over 500 MTPA by 2047.
ii.IWT promotes eco-friendly propulsion fuels like electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and derivatives.
- Initially, 8 electric catamaran vessels were deployed, strategically stationed at pilgrimage sites along with two stationed at Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura on National Waterway-1, and two at Guwahati on National Waterway-2.
iii.Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 will develop India’s 7500 Km coastline and utilize inland waterway potential for inclusive growth and employment through 46 identified initiatives.
- Key steps include establishing port-based agglomeration centers, coastal berths near production/demand hubs, and enhancing Road/Rail/IWT connectivity.
Key People:
Union Ministers of State (MoS) Shripad Naik and Shantanu Thakur, MoPSW ministers along with from state governments, senior government officials and other key stakeholders.
Recent Related News:
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 3rd edition of the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 held form October 17 to 19, 2023 at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai. During the event, the Prime Minister unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047—blueprint for Indian Maritime blue economy’.
ii.DP World, a global logistics operator, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) signed a significant MoU valued at Rs 20,000 crore and is intended for the development of the Vadhvan port, a highly anticipated project located north of Mumbai along the Arabian coast.
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways:
Union Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal, (Rajya Sabha Constituency – Assam)
Minister of State (MoS) – Shripad Yesso Naik; Shantanu Thakur
