Developing India's Waterways: Building a Safe, Sustainable, and Cost-Effective Inland Water Transport Network
Distilled Policy Brief
- Transporting one ton of freight via inland waterways costs approximately one-third of road transport and half of rail transport, providing a low-carbon alternative that reduces highway congestion.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Key facts to remember: India has 111 declared National Waterways covering 20,187 km, out of which 32 are operational; IWAI conducts Thalweg surveys to identify the deepest navigable channel for Least Available Depth (LAD).
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Examine the role of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in optimizing India's logistics cost structure and achieving decarbonization targets under the Maritime India Vision 2030.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
Consider the following statements regarding the development and economic significance of inland waterways in India, based on the recent policy briefing: 1. Transporting one ton of freight via inland waterways costs approximately one-third of road transport and half of rail transport. 2. India currently has 111 declared National Waterways spanning across all states and union territories. 3. The cargo movement through inland waterways has surpassed the target set under the Maritime India Vision 2030. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 1 and 3 only
- [C] 2 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 is correct because transporting one ton of freight via inland waterways costs about one-third of road transport and half of rail transport. Statement 2 is incorrect because while there are 111 National Waterways, they are spread across 23 states and 4 union territories, not all states and union territories. Statement 3 is correct as cargo traffic grew significantly, surpassing the 200 million metric ton (20 crore metric ton) target set under the Maritime India Vision 2030.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.