In a significant step to enhance Inland Water Transport (IWT) operations on National Waterway-1 (NW-1), River Ganga, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, inaugurated a full-fledged Regional Office in Varanasi on January 23, 2025. This marks IWAI’s sixth regional office, complementing existing locations in Guwahati, Patna, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata.
The new office, with a sub-office at Prayagraj, will oversee a 487-kilometer stretch from Majhua to Prayagraj, including the Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) at Varanasi. The key focus will be the World-Bank-funded Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), aimed at upgrading the River Ganga’s capacity through river conservancy works such as dredging and constructing critical infrastructure like terminals and locks.
Infrastructure under JMVP includes MMTs in Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia, an inter-modal terminal at Kalughat, and a new navigational lock at Farakka. Sixty community jetties across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal will further empower local farmers, artisans, and fishermen.
The Varanasi office will also coordinate with Uttar Pradesh’s State IWT Authority, focusing on tributaries such as the Yamuna, Gomti, and Betwa, alongside other National Waterways in the state.
Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s leadership, IWAI continues its nationwide expansion, fostering waterways as a vital engine of growth and connectivity.
