With the construction of new national waterways, the amount of cargo transported by waterways has increased sixfold in the last ten years. According to Crisil, the amount of cargo transported increased from 18.1 million tonnes in FY14 to 132.9 million tonnes in FY24. 200 million tons by FY30 and 500 million tonnes by FY2047 are the goals the government has set. Road transportation currently accounts for 65 percent of freight, followed by rail transportation at 26 percent. The remaining 9 percent is made up of air, pipeline, coastal shipping, and inland waterways.
Over the past ten years, the volume of goods moved by waterways has expanded sixfold due to the construction of new national waterways. From 18.1 million tonnes in FY14 to 132.9 million tonnes in FY24, more cargo was moved, according to Crisil.
Launched in 2018 with an investment of Rs 5,369.18 crore, the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) intends to expand the capacity of National Waterway 1 (NW), which runs 1,390 km from Haldia to Varanasi along the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system.
