Over 500 Electric Vessels Needed for Inland Shipping in the Next Five Years

Sarbananda Sonowal, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), stated that the goal is to have all ships running on green fuel by 2047, with plans for 300 to 400 electric vessels on India’s inland waterways within the next five years. He also highlighted the success of India’s river tourism, with the MV Ganga Vilas, the world’s longest river cruise, being fully booked for the next five to seven years. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted river cruise tourism, with only ten river cruises operated on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route in 2020-21. However, investment and policy reforms have led to increased freight traffic on national waterways, with a fivefold increase from 2014 to 2023.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is working on developing community jetties and dedicated river cruise jetties on various national waterways to support river cruise traffic. Sonowal credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increased investments and policy reforms, leading to a revitalization of traditional waterways and a significant increase in freight traffic. He also expressed confidence in exceeding the cargo movement targets set for 2030 and 2047, with a projected 12% increase in freight traffic in FY24.

Sonowal emphasized that India is progressing towards sustainable transportation on its waterways, with a focus on green fuel and electric vessels. The success of river tourism and the growth in freight traffic demonstrate the potential for further development and utilization of India’s waterways for transportation and tourism.

Source .