National level Consultative Workshop on Inland Waterways to be held in Patna today

In Bihar, a national-level Consultative Workshop on Inland Waterways with a focus on developing National Waterway 1 (NW 1) will be held today in Patna. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is organising this ‘Consultative Workshop on development of Inland Waterways Transport on River Ganga National Waterways – One under ‘Jal Marg Vikas Project’ (JMVP). This is the first policy dialogue on harnessing the River Ganga National Waterways Number One for sustainable cargo and passenger transport via Inland Water Transport (IWT).

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will Chair first-ever talks on National Waterways in Patna, which has focus on increasing cargo growth along Varanasi-Haldia Stretch of National Waterways Number -One (NW 1 ) along river Ganga. During the workshop the inter-ministerial discussion will be held from policymakers of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, which are stakeholders. Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, Bihar’s Minister of Water Resources Vijay Chaudhury, Bihar’s Transport Minister Sheela Kumari, and Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh are expected to attend the meeting.

The meeting will also see the presence of senior technocrats, experts, and officials from both state and central



governments. The Ministerial Workshop will focus on 11-years of growth of cargo movement on Ganga National Waterways Number -One across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand & West Bengal. This Consultative Workshop is likely to play a significant role in NDA government efforts to strengthen Inland Waterways transportation of both cargo and passengers on National Waterways- One. IWAI has said Patna is likely to emerge as a key hub for Inland Water Transport (IWT) along the Varanasi-Haldia stretch of NW-1. The policy level discussions will be substantiated by technical discussions during the day-long session.

The takeaway result will be unlocking opportunities for regional trade, boosting connectivity especially in the hinterland, and powering economic growth of the region.” Jal Marg Vikas Project’ (JMVP) is playing a pivotal role in rejuvenating IWT across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal by reviving the navigational potential of National Waterway-1 on the river Ganga. Through targeted interventions like fairway development, construction of multimodal terminals and state-of-the-art navigational locks, community jetties, modern navigational aids and improved river management, JMVP is addressing long-standing challenges and building a more reliable, sustainable, and efficient waterway transport system for cargo and passengers alike.