Kochi (Kerala) [India], January 23 (ANI): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday attended the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting in Kochi and highlighted the Centre's push to accelerate inland waterways development across the country, including in Kerala.

Speaking at the meeting, Sonowal said that growth across sectors has picked up pace due to the government's initiatives and stressed the importance of fully utilising Kerala's inland waterways potential.

'We are happy to inform you that in every sector, because of our successful initiative, the growth has become faster and faster and even in the state of Kerala, whatever potential national waterways we have, we have determined to develop them for the promotion of tourism and also the cargo movement and passenger movement,' he said.

The Union Minister further announced significant financial support for the state's waterways infrastructure.

'Particularly, we have decided to spend Rs 1,500 crores for the overall development of the national waterways in the state of Kerala,' Sonowal added.

The IWDC 3.0 agenda included sessions on building a resilient urban water transport system, enhancing the efficiency of cargo transport, promoting green vessels for passenger transport, advancing river cruise tourism and implementing digital and sustainable practices, according to an earlier release.

The meeting also reviewed the regulatory framework for inland waterways and addressed concerns raised by states related to ongoing and proposed inland water transport projects.

According to the release, India boasts an extensive network of inland waterways, with over 145 million tonnes of cargo moved annually, offering a fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Inland waterways complement the overburdened rail and road networks and facilitate initiatives such as Roll-on-Roll-off (Ro-Ro) vehicle transport and river cruise tourism. Of the total 111 National Waterways across 23 states and four union territories, 32 are currently operational for cargo and passenger movement.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is primarily responsible for the development, maintenance and regulation of these waterways.

Cargo movement on national waterways has increased from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024-25, while passenger traffic has grown to 7.64 crore in 2024-25, as mentioned in the release.

The release further stated that this momentum has been accelerated through transformative initiatives such as the 'Jalvahak' Cargo Promotion Scheme, incentivising shippers to shift cargo from road and rail to waterways, and 'Jal Samriddhi', which promotes strong private sector participation in terminal development and operations. (ANI)