Modal share of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in freight movement is 2%. Based on the findings of feasibility studies/Detailed Project Reports (DPR), about 5149 km length of 26 National Waterways (NWs) has been found feasible for development for the purpose of shipping and navigation. The utilization of waterways depends on various factors which primarily include availability of vessels, uninterrupted fairway and economical first & last mile connectivity. There has been constraint on availability of vessels in the private sector for various reasons which are mostly market driven. In the case of fairway, the fairway development carried out is sustainable to the desired level only when the conservancy works undertaken are reinforced by the adequate water discharges down the stream.
Under the circumstances, there has been positive growth trends in the IWT traffic from 19.77 MTPA during 2001-02 to 96.31 MTPA during 2021-22 (till February).
As per RITES Report of 2014 on “Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid”, the cost comparison between Inland Water Transport (IWT) mode and other dominant modes of surface transport is as below:
| Mode | Railways | Highways | IWT |
| Freight (Rs./T.km) | 1.36 | 2.50 | 1.06 |
Freight movement on NW-1 (The Ganga) has increased from 4.89 Million Tonne (MT) in 2016-17 to 9.21 MT in 202-21 there by marking an increase of 88% since 2016-17 and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17%. Inland Waterways Authority of India has undertaken implementation of World Bank assisted Jal Marg Vikas Project(JMVP) at a total cost of Rs. 4634 cr. including the work on activities aligned to the Arth Ganga Concept at a cost of Rs. 746 cr. On the concept of Arth Ganga, JMVP-II was conceptualized in July 2020 with the objective of boosting socio-economic development and economic benefits to the farmers, traders & public living around the Ganga, logistics cost reduction, etc. Arth- Ganga programme is at initial stage and is progressing as per the original schedule.
The JMVP-II (Arth Ganga) includes among others development of 62 nos. of community jetties and 10 nos. (5 pairs) of Ro-Ro terminals in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
| S.No. | State | Community Jetties | Ro-Ro terminals |
| 1 | Bihar | 21 nos. | 6 locations |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 15 nos. | 1 locations |
| 3 | Jharkhand | 3 nos. | 2 locations |
| 4 | West Bengal | 23 nos. | 1 locations |
Works under Arth Ganga are at DPR/Tendering stage.
No projects on the lines of Arth Ganga has been implemented/proposed for Maharashtra and Southern States.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha