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Inland waterways (NW programme)
What it is
Development of National Waterways for cargo movement on rivers and canals, requiring channel dredging, terminals, navigation aids and vessels. NW-1 on the Ganga is the most developed
Waterway transport is cheaper per tonne-km than road or rail where the route exists
Impact on industries
- Creates recurring maintenance dredging demand, since river channels silt continuously and must be maintained to hold navigable depth
- Fuel cost per tonne-km is far below road, so the economics work for bulk cargo on suitable routes
- Seasonal water availability limits year-round navigability on most Indian rivers, which caps reliability for shippers
- Cargo volumes have consistently lagged targets, so the demand underpinning the infrastructure is unproven at scale