Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is organising a ‘Consultative Workshop on development of Inland Waterways Transport on River Ganga (National Waterways 1) under ‘Jal Marg Vikas Project’ (JMVP) in Patna on Monday, 16 June, 2025 — a first for Bihar. The inter-ministerial discussion will see participation from policymakers of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, and will be chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.

The high-level ministerial meeting will be chaired by Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, with the participation of Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Shantanu Thakur, Bihar’s Minister of Water Resources Vijay Chaudhury, Bihar’s Transport Minister Sheela Kumari, and Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh. The meeting will also see the presence of senior technocrats, experts, and officials from both state and central governments. The Ministerial Workshop will focus on 11-years of growth of cargo movement on Ganga (NW1) across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand & West Bengal.

Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Kumar (IAS), Chairman, IWAI, said, “IWAI is immensely proud to organise this Consultative Workshop which is likely to play a significant role in our efforts to strengthen Inland Waterways transportation of both cargo and passengers on National Waterway 1, i.e. river Ganga. Patna, which is hosting such a workshop for the first time, is likely to emerge as a key hub for Inland Water Transport (IWT) along the Varanasi-Haldia stretch of NW-1. The policy level discussions will be substantiated by technical discussions during the day-long session. The takeaway result will be unlocking opportunities for regional trade, boosting connectivity especially in the hinterland, and powering economic growth of the region.”

JMVP is playing a pivotal role in rejuvenating IWT across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal by reviving the navigational potential of National Waterway-1 on the river Ganga. Through targeted interventions like fairway development, construction of multimodal terminals and state-of-the-art navigational locks, community jetties, modern navigational aids and improved river management, JMVP is addressing long-standing challenges and building a more reliable, sustainable, and efficient waterway transport system for cargo and passengers alike.

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GDH

Waterway Press Release