India is strengthening its inland waterway network through hydrographic surveys, modern navigation aids and digital information systems to improve safety, operational efficiency and freight connectivity as cargo movement on rivers continues to grow.
Cargo movement on inland waterways increased from 29 million metric tonnes in 2014–15 to 218 million metric tonnes in 2025–26, registering a compound annual growth rate of 20.13 per cent and surpassing the 200-million-tonne target set under Maritime India Vision 2030, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
India has 111 National Waterways spanning 20,187 kilometres across 23 States and four Union Territories, of which 32 are operational. Inland waterways offer a cost-effective and relatively cleaner mode of freight transportation, with waterborne transport costing approximately one-third of road transport and half of rail transport, according to the Ministry.
With increasing traffic, maintaining navigable channels and ensuring adequate water depth have become critical to inland waterway operations. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) conducts hydrographic surveys to assess water depths, riverbed profiles, shoals, flow characteristics and changes in river morphology.
Thalweg surveys identify and monitor the deepest navigable channel along river stretches, while terminal and jetty surveys assess water depths and approach conditions near cargo-handling facilities. As of September 2026, regular thalweg surveys covered 22 National Waterways, with monitoring undertaken weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the requirements of individual routes.
The surveys also cover the Indian portion of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, which facilitates cargo movement between the two countries through designated river channels.
A key outcome is the determination of Least Available Depth (LAD), which indicates the minimum water depth available in a navigation channel during a specified period. The information helps vessel operators determine permissible draft, cargo-carrying capacity, route schedules and seasonal operating conditions.
India is also expanding navigation infrastructure to help vessels identify channels, avoid hazards and operate safely under varying weather and visibility conditions.
Aids to Navigation (AtoN), recognised under the Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021, include buoys, channel markers, radar beacons, lighthouse structures and other navigational devices. While the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships manages general aids to navigation along the coastline, IWAI maintains such infrastructure across inland waterways according to route requirements.
National Waterway-3 in Kerala, comprising the West Coast Canal between Kottapuram and Kollam and the Champakkara and Udyogamandal canals, is equipped with navigation aids to support round-the-clock vessel movement. The waterway has 312 solar-powered lighted fibreglass-reinforced plastic buoys and 17 beacon lamp posts.
In a major development, India announced its first four riverine lighthouses on the Brahmaputra, designated National Waterway-2, in March 2026. The ₹74-crore project covers Pandu, Bogibeel, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat.
The lighthouses will rise 20 metres above ground and have a geographical range of 14 nautical miles, with a luminous range of eight to 10 nautical miles. Powered entirely by solar energy, they will also feature weather-observation sensors to provide information relevant to navigation and vessel safety.
The project includes public amenities such as museums, amphitheatres, cafeterias, landscaped spaces, children’s play areas and souvenir shops, combining navigation infrastructure with tourism development.
National Waterway-2 extends for 891 kilometres between Dhubri and Sadiya in Assam. It supports cargo, passenger and tourist movement and serves supply chains associated with commodities such as tea, coal and fertiliser. Cargo movement on the waterway increased from 0.90 million metric tonnes in 2024–25 to 1.29 million metric tonnes in 2025–26.
The riverine lighthouses are expected to strengthen navigational guidance along this increasingly important transport corridor, particularly during night-time operations.
Digital systems are helping integrate information on river depths, navigable routes, infrastructure, weather and vessel movements.
Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), developed using hydrographic survey data, enable mariners to plan and conduct journeys using digital navigation charts. As of September 2026, ENCs had been prepared for 18 operational and tidal waterways and uploaded to platforms including the Portal for Asset and Navigation Information (PANI) and the IWAI Vessel Tracker.
Before 2014, this facility was available only on National Waterway-1, covering the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system between Haldia and Prayagraj.
PANI provides information on National Waterways and associated infrastructure, including fairways, terminals, cross-river structures, jetty connectivity and emergency services. The IWAI Vessel Tracker offers real-time vessel-tracking capabilities alongside navigation-related information, including routes and water depths.
Another initiative, Naudarshika, the National River Traffic and Navigation System, was launched in 2025 to support safer, more efficient and sustainable vessel movement. It incorporates real-time Least Available Depth information and complements existing platforms such as PANI and the Least Available Depth Information System (LADIS).
River Information Services (RIS) integrate vessel-tracking technologies, weather and water sensors, communication systems and information technology to improve information exchange between vessel operators and control centres.
On National Waterway-1, RIS has been implemented across three stretches of the Ganga: Haldia–Farakka, Farakka–Patna and Patna–Varanasi.
The network comprises four control stations and 13 base stations equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment, Very High Frequency (VHF) communication and meteorological sensors. RIS consoles have also been installed on 30 departmental vessels.
The system enables authorities to monitor vessel movements, share navigation information and make operational decisions based on prevailing river and weather conditions.
India’s inland waterway development strategy combines hydrographic surveys, physical navigation infrastructure and digital information systems to improve the reliability and safety of river transport. While surveys establish navigable depths, navigation aids guide vessels along channels and digital platforms support route planning, vessel tracking and traffic management.
With cargo movement continuing to expand, the integration of these systems is expected to improve navigation predictability, strengthen operational safety and enhance the efficiency of inland waterways as an alternative freight transport network.