How many national waterways are there in India?

According to the National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 inland waterways (including five national waterways in India declared earlier) have been declared as ‘national waterways’.

Who is the authority incharge of waterways in India?

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India, is responsible for the timely execution of national waterways projects and to ensure improved water transportation in India.

List of National Waterways in India

Table of Contents

List of National Waterways in India

India, being a peninsular country, provides hue opportunity for an efficient waterway’s transportation. India is endowed with 14,500 kilometres of coastline, and hence proves to be an economical mode of transportation. The development of waterways is less challenging than the development of roads or railways, as the issue of land acquisition do not arise.

What are national waterways?

India has a vast network of inland waterways that include river bodies, canals, backwaters and creeks.
According to the National Waterways Act, 2016, 111 inland waterways (including five national waterways in India declared earlier) have been declared as ‘national waterways’.
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India, is responsible for the timely execution of national waterways projects and to ensure improved water transportation in India.

Operational National Waterways in the Country

Out of the 111 National Waterways (NWs) declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016, 13 NWs are operational for shipping and navigation and cargo/passenger vessels are moving on them

भारत में राष्ट्रीय जलमार्गों की सूची

Sl. No.	National Waterway (NW) No.	Length (km)	Location (S)
1.	NW-1: Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad)	1620	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
2.	NW-2: Brahmaputra River (Dhubri – Sadiya)	891	Assam
3.	NW-3: West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals	205	Kerala
4.	NW-4: Phase-1development of the stretch Muktiyala to Vijyawada of river Krishna	82	Andhra Pradesh
5. 6. 7. 8.	Waterways in Maharashtra i) NW-10 (Amba River) ii) NW-83 (Rajpuri Creek) iii) NW–85 (Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System) iv) NW-91 (Shastri river–Jaigad creek system)	45 31 31 52	Maharashtra
9. 10.	National Waterways in Goa NW-68 – Mandovi – Usgaon Bridge to Arabian Sea (41 km) NW-111 – Zuari– Sanvordem Bridge to Marmugao Port (50 km).	41 50	Goa
11. 12.	National Waterways in Gujarat NW-73- Narmada river- NW-100- Tapi river	226 436	Gujarat &Maharastra
13.	Sunderbans Waterways (NW-97): Namkhana to AtharaBankiKhal in West Bengal.	172	West Bengal (through Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route)

Complete list of National Waterways in India

National waterway no. (Rashtriya Jal Marg no.)	Location details
National Waterway 1 States: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal	Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Haldia – Allahabad).
National Waterway 2 State: Assam	Brahmaputra River (Dhubri – Sadiya)
National Waterway 3 State: Kerala	West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kollam), Champakara and Udyogmandal Canals
National Waterway 3 State: Kerala	West Coast Canal (Kottapuram – Kozhikode)
National Waterway 4 States: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and Maharashtra	Kakinada Canal (Kakinada to Rajahmundry)
	Godavari river (Bhadrachalam to Rajahmundry)
	Eluru Canal (Rajahmundry to Vijayawada)
	Krishna river (Wazirabad to Vijayawada)
	Commamur Canal (Vijayawada to Peddaganjam)
	South Buckingham canal (Central Station of Chennai to Marakanam)
	Marakanam to Puducherry through Kaluvelly tank
	River Godavari (Bhadrachalam – Nashik)
	River Krishna (Wazirabad – Galagali)
National Waterway 5 States: Odisha and West Bengal	East Coast Canal and Matai river
	Brahmani-Kharsua-Dhamra rivers
	Mahanadi delta rivers (Consisting of Hansua river, Nunanala, Gobrinala, Kharnasi river and Mahanadi river)
National Waterway 6 State: Assam	Aai River
National Waterway 7 State: West Bengal	Ajoy (Ajay) River
National Waterway 8 State: Kerala	Alappuzha- Changanassery Canal
National Waterway 9 State: Kerala, Alternate route: 11.5 kilometre	Alappuzha- Kottayam – Athirampuzha Canal
National Waterway 10 State: Maharashtra	Amba River
National Waterway 11 State: Maharashtra	Arunawati – Aran River System
National Waterway 12 State: Uttar Pradesh	Asi River
National Waterway 13 State: Kerala and Tamil Nadu	Avm Canal
National Waterway 14 State: Odisha	Baitarni River
National Waterway 15 State: West Bengal	Bakreswar – Mayurakshi River System
National Waterway 16 State: Assam	Barak River
National Waterway 17 State: Himachal Pradesh and Punjab	Beas River
National Waterway 18 State: Assam	Beki River
National Waterway 19 State: Uttar Pradesh	Betwa River
National Waterway 20 State: Tamil Nadu	Bhavani River
National Waterway 21 State: Karnataka and Telangana	Bheema River
National Waterway 22 State: Odisha	Birupa – BadiGenguti – Brahmani River System
National Waterway 23 State: Odisha	BudhaBalanga
National Waterway 24 State: Uttar Pradesh	Chambal River
National Waterway 25 State: Goa	Chapora River
National Waterway 26 State: Jammu and Kashmir	Chenab River
National Waterway 27 State: Goa	Cumberjua River
National Waterway 28 State: Maharashtra	Dabhol Creek -Vashishti River System
National Waterway 29 State: West Bengal	Damodar River
National Waterway 30 State: Assam	Dehing River
National Waterway 31 State: Assam	Dhansiri / Chathe
National Waterway 32 State: Assam	Dikhu River
National Waterway 33 State: Assam	Doyans River
National Waterway 34 State: West Bengal	Dvc Canal
National Waterway 35 State: West Bengal	Dwarekeswar River
National Waterway 36 State: West Bengal	Dwarka River
National Waterway 37 State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh	Gandak River
National Waterway 38 State: Assam and West Bengal	Gangadhar River
National Waterway 39 State: Meghalaya	Ganol River
National Waterway 40 State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh	Ghaghra River
National Waterway 41 State: Karnataka	Ghataprabha River
National Waterway 42 State: Uttar Pradesh	Gomti River
National Waterway 43 State: Karnataka	Gurupur River
National Waterway 44 State: West Bengal	Ichamati River
National Waterway 45 State: Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan	Indira Gandhi Canal
National Waterway 46 State: Jammu and Kashmir	Indus River
National Waterway 47 State: West Bengal	Jalangi River
National Waterway 48 State: Gujarat and Rajasthan	Jawai-Luni-Rann Of Kutch River System
National Waterway 49 State: Jammu and Kashmir	Jhelum River
National Waterway 50 State: Assam and Meghalaya	Jinjiram River
National Waterway 51 State: Karnataka	Kabini River
National Waterway 52 State: Karnataka	Kali River
National Waterway 53 State: Maharashtra	Kalyan-Thane-Mumbai Waterway, Vasai Creek And Ulhas River System
National Waterway 54 State: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh	Karamnasa River
National Waterway 55 State: Tamil Nadu	Kaveri – Kollidam River System
National Waterway 56 State: Jharkhand	Kherkai River
National Waterway 57 State: Assam	Kopili River
National Waterway 58 State: Bihar	Kosi River
National Waterway 59 State: Kerala	Kottayam-Vaikom Canal
National Waterway 60 State: West Bengal	Kumari River
National Waterway 61 State: Meghalaya	Kynshi River
National Waterway 62 State: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh	Lohit River
National Waterway 63 State: Rajasthan	Luni River
National Waterway 64 State: Odisha	Mahanadi River
National Waterway 65 State: West Bengal	Mahananda River
National Waterway 66 State: Gujarat	Mahi River
National Waterway 67 State: Karnataka	Malaprabha River
National Waterway 68 State: Goa	Mandovi River
National Waterway 69 State: Tamil Nadu	Manimutharu River
National Waterway 70 State: Maharashtra and Telangana	Manjara River
National Waterway 71 State: Goa	Mapusa / Moide River
National Waterway 72 State: Maharashtra	Nag River
National Waterway 73 State: Maharashtra and Gujarat	Narmada River
National Waterway 74 State: Karnataka	Netravathi River
National Waterway 75 State: Tamil Nadu	Palar River
National Waterway 76 State: Karnataka	Panchagangavali (Panchagangoli) River
National Waterway 77 State: Tamil Nadu	Pazhyar River
National Waterway 78 State: Maharashtra and Telangana	Penganaga – Wardha River System
National Waterway 79 State: Andhra Pradesh	Pennar River
National Waterway 80 State: Tamil Nadu	Ponniyar River
National Waterway 81 State: Bihar	Punpun River
National Waterway 82 State: Assam	Puthimari River
National Waterway 83 State: Maharashtra	Rajpuri Creek
National Waterway 84 State: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab	Ravi River
National Waterway 85 State: Maharashtra	Revadanda Creek – Kundalika River System
National Waterway 86 State: West Bengal	Rupnarayan River
National Waterway 87 State: Gujarat	Sabarmati River
National Waterway 88 State: Goa	Sal River
National Waterway 89 State: Maharashtra	Savitri River (Bankot Creek)
National Waterway 90 State: Karnataka	Sharavati River
National Waterway 91 State: Maharashtra	Shastri River – Jaigad Creek System
National Waterway 92 State: West Bengal	Silabati River
National Waterway 93 State: Meghalaya	Simsang River
National Waterway 94 State: Bihar	Sone River
National Waterway 95 State: Assam	Subansiri River
National Waterway 95 State: Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha	Subarnrekha River
National Waterway 97 State: West Bengal	Sunderbans Waterway
	Bidya River
	ChhotaKalagachi (ChhotoKalergachi) River
	Gomar River
	Haribhanga River
	Hogla (Hogal)-Pathankhali River
	Kalindi (Kalandi) River
	Katakhali River
	Matla River
	Muri Ganga (Baratala) River
	Raimangal River
	Sahibkhali (Sahebkhali) River
	Saptamukhi River
	Thakurran River
National Waterway 98 State: Himachal Pradesh and Punjab	Sutlej River
National Waterway 99 State: Tamil Nadu	Tamaraparani River
National Waterway 100 State: Maharashtra and Gujarat	Tapi River
National Waterway 101 State: Nagaland	Tizu – Zungki Rivers
National Waterway 102 State: Assam and Mizoram	Tlwang (Dhaleswari River)
National Waterway 103 State: Uttar Pradesh	Tons River
National Waterway 104 State: Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh	Tungabhadra River
National Waterway 105 State: Karnataka	Udayavara River
National Waterway 106 State: Meghalaya	Umngot (Dawki) River
National Waterway 107 State: Tamil Nadu	Vaigai River
National Waterway 108 State: Uttar Pradesh	Varuna River
National Waterway 109 State: Maharashtra and Telangana	Wainganga – Pranahita River System
National Waterway 110 State: Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh	Yamuna River
National Waterway 111 State: Goa	Zuari River

UPSC favourite topics

Warren Hastings \| First Governor General of Bengal	Ecological Pyramids: Meaning and Types	Abolition of Sati \| Bengal Sati Regulation 1829
Naxalism in India: Government Steps and Recommendations	Naxalism in India: Origin, Ideology and Reasons of Spread	Fundamental Rights (Article 12-32) \| Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)
Self Help Groups and Eshakti	Subsidiary Alliance \| Impact and Significance	Subsidiary Alliance System \| Background and Key Features
Biotechnology: Definition, Application and Challenges	Different Types of Launch Vehicles in India	List of All Agricultural Revolutions in India