The Uttar Pradesh government will develop inland waterways for both interstate and intra-state passenger and cargo movement.
Since inland waterway terminals are connected with sea and dry ports, they offer a low-cost transport medium for perishable and non-perishable items.
Of 111 inland waterways in India, UP possesses a dozen waterways in major rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Saryu, Betwa, Chambal etc.
At present, the Varanasi-Haldia inland waterway, operated by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), is operational in UP.
Now, the state is looking to develop other waterways as they provide economical routes for transportation with little investment.
In fact, the state will constitute UP Inland Waterways Authority to boost the sector including water sports and tourism.
The Authority would be headed by the UP transport minister with experts as members.
Podcast -How is currency exchange rate fixed?
Inland waterways cargo movement in India jumped from 16 million tonnes (MT) in 2016 to 109 MT in 2021-22.