Centre Charts Inland Waterways Revival For Bihar: Patna To Become Water Transport Hub On River Ganga

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform the state’s riverine transport ecosystem.

Speaking at the first-ever Consultative Workshop on Inland Waterways Development in Patna, the Minister emphasised the rejuvenation of National Waterway-1 (Ganga), terming it a lifeline for sustainable transport and economic revival.

“Today, at this Consultative Workshop, we reaffirm our collective effort to rejuvenate our rivers, especially the National Waterways, to become as engines of our future growth, not merely a relic of our past,” said Sonowal.

Honouring the Ganga, he added, “I bow with reverence to the sacred river Ganga... she is the heartbeat of the Indian subcontinent.”

Among the major announcements was the proposal for a Water Metro in Patna, inspired by the Kochi model. The system aims to link both banks of the Ganga, providing an eco-friendly, modern transport solution.

A ship repair facility will also be established in Patna, capable of both repairs and new vessel construction.

A Joint Task Force involving the Bihar Government, the Ministry of Ports and IWAI is being constituted to explore long-term river development. Additionally, the National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI) in Patna will be upgraded into a Centre of Excellence.

Highlighting tangible steps, Sonowal said, “With 16 new community jetties... and TWO Ro-Pax terminals, along with TWO hybrid electric catamaran vessels, these efforts reflect the Modi government’s vision of a cleaner, greener, and more connected Bihar.”

The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), with an outlay of Rs 5,061 crore, is 68.86 per cent complete and already showing impact. Cargo traffic on NW-1 has surged 220 per cent since 2014, with environmental safeguards firmly in place.

Since 2014, operational National Waterways have grown from 3 to 29, with 145.84 million tonnes of cargo moved in FY25. Over Rs 35,000 crore worth of projects are lined up in the next five years, supported by a 48 per cent increase in the annual budget.

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