Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
Why it Matters?
The 198th Board Meeting of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), held in Delhi on June 26, 2025, resulted in several significant decisions aimed at advancing the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector across India, with a particular focus on the North Eastern Region (NER).
What You Should Know?
Inland Waterways Authority of India is a statutory body, established under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985
It works under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
The Authority is responsible for the development and regulation of Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on National Waterways.
It receives funding through grants from the central government, via its nodal ministry.
The head office of IWAI is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Its regional offices are located at Patna, Kolkata, Guwahati, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, and Kochi.
Its sub-offices are situated in Prayagraj, Farakka, Sahibganj, Haldia, Swroopganj, Hemnagar, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Silchar, Kollam, and Vijayawada.
Recent Initiatives:
IWAI approved the construction of three tourist jetties at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, and Guijan, and a tourist-cum-cargo jetty at Neamati in Assam to promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) and regional tourism.
A Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) will be developed at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, Assam, with a training capacity of 5,396 participants, aligned with the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, for training, research, and capacity building.
The National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new Ship Repair Facility at Patna, Bihar, on National Waterway-1 (NW-1).
The Indian Waterway Congress (IWC) will be established, modelled after the Indian Road Congress (IRC), to integrate best global practices, promote standardization, and encourage innovation in the IWT sector.
Why it Matters?
The 198th Board Meeting of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), held in Delhi on June 26, 2025, resulted in several significant decisions aimed at advancing the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector across India, with a particular focus on the North Eastern Region (NER).
What You Should Know?
Inland Waterways Authority of India is a statutory body, established under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985
It works under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
The Authority is responsible for the development and regulation of Inland Water Transport (IWT) infrastructure on National Waterways.
It receives funding through grants from the central government, via its nodal ministry.
The head office of IWAI is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Its regional offices are located at Patna, Kolkata, Guwahati, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, and Kochi.
Its sub-offices are situated in Prayagraj, Farakka, Sahibganj, Haldia, Swroopganj, Hemnagar, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Silchar, Kollam, and Vijayawada.
Recent Initiatives:
IWAI approved the construction of three tourist jetties at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, and Guijan, and a tourist-cum-cargo jetty at Neamati in Assam to promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) and regional tourism.
A Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) will be developed at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, Assam, with a training capacity of 5,396 participants, aligned with the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, for training, research, and capacity building.
The National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new Ship Repair Facility at Patna, Bihar, on National Waterway-1 (NW-1).
The Indian Waterway Congress (IWC) will be established, modelled after the Indian Road Congress (IRC), to integrate best global practices, promote standardization, and encourage innovation in the IWT sector.