Current Context : The Jalvahak Scheme is an initiative by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, launched on December 15, 2024, to promote cargo transportation via India’s inland waterways.

• Objective: To incentivize cargo movement through inland waterways, aiming for a modal shift of 800 million tonne-kilometers with an investment of ₹4 crores over three years.

Operational Routes:

• National Waterway 1 (NW-1):Kolkata – Patna – Varanasi – Patna – Kolkata stretch.
• National Waterway 2 (NW-2):Kolkata to Pandu in Guwahati via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
• National Waterway 16 (NW-16):Barak River via IBPR.

Implementation Agencies:

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
• Inland & Coastal Shipping Ltd (ICSL), a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India.
• Validity Period:The scheme is initially valid for three years.
• Fixed-Day Scheduled Sailing Service: Introduced to ensure timely and reliable cargo delivery, with specific transit times set for each route.
• Significance : Aims to lower logistics costs by providing a cost-effective alternative to road and rail transport.

Inland Waterways in India:

National Waterways (NWs): India has 111 declared NWs under the National Waterways Act, 2016, facilitating inland water transport.

Key Waterways:

• NW-1:Haldia to Allahabad on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System.
• NW-2:Dhubri to Sadiya on the Brahmaputra River.
• NW-16:Barak River.

Regulatory Body: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), established under the IWAI Act, 1985, is responsible for the regulation and development of NWs in India.