Water transport needs ‘trained’ rivers. Most importantly it needs a consistent flow of water. With rapid siltation, exacerbated by rampant deforestation and increased uptake by urbanisation, industry and agriculture, not to mention dams that curtail the free flow of rivers, India’s navigable waters chronically suffer from insufficient depth. A depth of 2.5 m is imperative if the navigability of rivers is to be ensured. Maintaining this the least available depth, is perhaps the biggest challenge that the inland water sector faces today. Besides, large vessels need vertical and horizontal clearances along river courses. Short sighted planning has ridden rivers with infrastructure that needs severe remodeling if navigability is to be enhanced culminating in the creation of state-of-the-art terminals, modal links and night navigation facilities, and more. A substantial volume of cargo, as well as a two way traffic to and from the destination ensures a stable waterways sector. India’s rivers carry a miniscule fraction of the cargo hauled over roadways.

The present government is all set to boost commerce along waterways, and thus the G’nY Waterways issue is dedicated to celebrate the effort. Nevertheless, considering the present scenario, upscaling navigability seems a distant dream. With limited capacity in the sector right from research, to operation personnel and private entrepreneurship, inland water transport development is in need of a dedicated and prolonged hand-holding. The Indian waterways sector is marred by a profusion of interdepartmental hurdles, environmental clearances and technical upgradations in its struggle to become a viable model both in isolation and in the intermodal mix. India remains hopeful that this is not ephemeral euphoria and that a multimodal transport system will soon become a reality. With proper research and policy motivations, progress in the waterways sector of India can very well take a giant leap, especially where cruise tourism is involved. If indeed the government’s ambitious plans of turning 101 water bodies of India into national waterways is realised it would substantially ease the pressure on road and rail transport thereby reducing logistics cost of the country.

A second section highlights the concerns of the shipping sector. New age low emission fuels, better designed large vessels and well managed ports are India’s primary needs. The waterways issue just evinces the tip of the iceberg that warrants further analysis.