"India Commits ₹45,000 Crore Investment for the Development of River Cruise Tourism: Sarbananda Sonowal"

In a significant move to propel river cruise tourism and harness the potential of inland waterways for economic growth, India announces a substantial investment of approximately ₹45,000 crore. The objective is to enhance inland water routes as vital channels for economic development and commerce.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, revealed this ambitious plan during the inaugural meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata. The meeting, chaired by Sonowal, brought together key stakeholders, ministerial representatives from states, and prominent policymakers and industry leaders.

Out of the total investment, an estimated ₹35,000 crore is earmarked for the development of cruise vessels, while another ₹10,000 crore is allocated for the creation of cruise terminal infrastructure by 2047.

The IWDC outlined a roadmap to enhance the capacity of an additional 26 waterways suitable for river cruise tourism. The plan also includes an increase in the number of cruise circuits with night stays from 17 to 80 by 2047.

As part of the infrastructure boost for inland waterways, the number of river cruise terminals will witness a substantial increase, reaching 185 terminals, marking a growth of 1233% from the current count of 15 terminals, according to the Ministry's release.

The release stated, "Building on the capacity of enhanced circuits, the cruise tourism traffic with night stays will be moved up from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh by 2047. Similarly, the local cruise tourism traffic on National Waterways without night stay to be increased from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047.

Sonowal launched the 'Harit Nauka' guidelines and the 'River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047' during the inaugural session of IWDC. The 'Harit Nauka - Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels' initiative is geared towards fostering sustainability and eco-friendliness in the country's inland waterways.

Highlighting the commitment to green transport, Sonowal mentioned an investment of around ₹15,000 crore over the next decade to develop 1,000 vessels and ferries.

"The total investment by 2047 will be around ₹60,000 crore, and it will be done under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The projects will help generate thousands of jobs," added the minister.

The IWDC meeting, organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for inland waterways in India under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), marked a significant step toward transforming India's water transport landscape.

HBL