Union Government unveils ‘Jalvahak’ Scheme to boost Inland Waterways

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Scheme aims to encourage business enterprises with safe and timely delivery of cargo through inland waterways, in a cost effective manner.

Scheme aims to incentivise cargo movement via inland waterways, promoting sustainable and cost-effective transportation across National Waterways (NW)-1, NW-2, and NW-16.

About the Jalvahak scheme

Ministry: Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
- To be jointly implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Inland & Coastal Shipping Ltd (ICSL), a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India.
Aim: Schemes aim at Incentivising Modal Shift of 800 Million Tonnes KMs with an investment of ₹95.4 crores.
Time frame: Valid for an initial period of 3 years.
Route: Fixed Day Scheduled Sailing Service will ply vessels between Kolkata - Patna - Varanasi - Patna - Kolkata stretch of National Waterways (NW)-1, between Kolkata and Pandu in Guwahati on NW 2, and NW 16 via Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
Incentive: Offers reimbursement upto 35% of total operating expenditure incurred while transporting cargo.
Criteria: Provides direct incentive to transport their goods via inland waterways for a distance of more than 300 kms.
Significance: Reduced logistics costs, decongestion of road and railways, and adapting to a sustainable mode of transportation.

National Waterways: To promote Inland Water Transport in the country, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs) under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- Some important NWs include – NW-1 (Haldia – Allahabad on Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System), NW-2 (Dhubri – Sadiya on River Brahmaputra), NW-16 (Barak River), among others.
Institutional Structure: Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) established through IWAI Act, 1985 is responsible for the regulation and development of National Waterways in India.