MoPSW Secretary reviews progress of key Inland Waterways Projects in a high-level meeting with IWAI

NEW DELHI : Shri Vijay Kumar (IAS), Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), chaired a comprehensive review meeting with senior officials of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to assess the ongoing progress and future roadmap of India’s inland waterways development.

During the meeting, the Secretary took a detailed review of all major projects under implementation, including the flagship Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on National Waterway-1, development initiatives in the Northeast Region (NER), and critical works underway across other national waterways. Special focus was laid on the Yamuna and Jhelum waterways, where efforts are being intensified to enhance navigation capacity, infrastructure readiness, and inter-state coordination.

Officials presented updates on traffic movement trends, fairway development, and maintenance activities, along with the operational status of IWAI’s growing fleet, including environment-friendly green vessels being deployed to support sustainable inland water transport.

A significant portion of the discussions centred on enhancing asset and land utilisation, ensuring real-time and accurate data updates on the Sagarmanthan Portal, and resolving inter-state operational challenges through consolidated Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). The Secretary stressed the need for coordinated action, timely execution, and improved monitoring mechanisms to accelerate progress across priority projects.

The review meeting underlined the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening India’s inland water transport ecosystem, improving efficiency, promoting green mobility, and realising the full potential of the country’s vast network of waterways.