**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer to Unstarred Question No. 1031 in the Lok Sabha, answered on December 5, 2025, regarding the development work for National Waterway-4 (NW-4). It details the approvals, funding, progress, and challenges related to the project. Several projects have a target completion date of July 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Development Works and Progress:**
* Details of development works approved for NW-4, including Andhra Pradesh, are in Annexure-I.
* Annexure-I lists approved works with physical progress details, like updation of DPR for NW-4 (27% complete, target July 2026), construction of steel pontoons (49% complete, target April 2026), and boundary wall construction projects (18% and 2% complete, target July 2026).
* **Operational Length and Infrastructure:**
* The length of operational and under-development segments of NW-4 are in Annexure-II.
* State-wise details of ongoing works and scheduled completion dates are in Annexure-I.
* Details of other infrastructure works, completion dates, and physical progress are in Annexure-I.
* Operational stretches for NW-4 include river/canal stretches in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Telangana stretch is targeted to be operational by July 2026.
* **Funding and Utilization:**
* Year-wise fund allocation for development works on NW-4 with physical progress is in Annexure-III.
* Annexure III shows year-wise funding allocation for NW-4 from 2013-14 through 2024-25, with all years showing 100% physical progress.
* Cargo movement for the last 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25) in NW-4 is 41.18 MMT.
* 14,53,227 passengers were recorded on NW-4 up to October 2025-26.
* 740 vessels are registered in Jalyan & Navik portal for NW-4 as of 03.12.2025.
* **Challenges:**
* Challenges in developing and operating NW-4 include the presence of weirs, dams, barrages, and check dams without navigation locks, and bridges that don't comply with IWAI regulations.
* Measures to resolve these issues have been taken up with the concerned State Governments.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Government of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
**Impact**
* Responsible for collaborating to resolve the operational challenges (weirs, dams, bridges, etc.) for NW-4.
* Responsible for infrastructure development within their states.
**Action Required**
* Engage with IWAI to address non-compliant infrastructure and expedite completion of ongoing works.
**Stakeholder:** Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
**Impact**
* Responsible for the overall development and regulation of NW-4.
* Responsible for safety regulation compliance.
**Action Required**
* Continue to work with state governments to resolve operational challenges and ensure regulatory compliance for NW-4.
Key Entities Referenced
National Waterway-4 (NW-4): A designated inland waterway for transportation and development, central to the policy discussion.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways: The primary ministry responsible for the development and regulation of waterways, including NW-4.
Andhra Pradesh: A key state along NW-4, with specific development activities and challenges highlighted in the policy.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1031
ANSWERED ON 05.12.2025
DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR NATIONAL WATERWAY-4
1031. SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY VEMIREDDY;
Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:
प(cid:517)न, पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी
(a) the details regarding the development works approved by the Government for
National Waterway-4 (NW-4), especially for Andhra Pradesh;
(b) length of the operational and under development segment of NW-4 with
expected completion dates for ongoing works State-wise and especially in Andhra
Pradesh;
(c) the funds allocated and disbursed for NW-4 development, year-wise since the
project inception along with physical progress achieved till date;
(d) the details regarding other infrastructure for NW-4, such as jetties, terminals
and cargo handling facilities proposed, under construction and fully functional,
including the present status of the same;
(e) the utilization data of the operational segment of NW-4, including cargo
volumes, passenger movements and number of vessels, year-wise; and
(f) whether any challenges were faced in the development and operation of NW-
4, if so, the details thereof regarding the measures undertaken to address them?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)
(a) The details of development works as approved by the Government for National
Waterway-4 (NW- 4) including Andhra Pradesh are given at Annexure-I.
(b) The length of operational and under development segment of NW-4 are given
at Annexure-II. The State-wise details of ongoing works, alongwith scheduled
completion dates are given at Annexure-I.(c) The details of year-wise fund allocation for various development works on NW-
4 with physical progress are given at Annexure-III.
(d) The details of other infrastructure works alongwith their completion date &
physical progress are given at Annexure-I.
(e) The cargo movement for last 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25) in NW- 4 is 41.18
MMT and the year wise details are given below:
Financial Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Cargo Movement (in MMT) 6.83 11.23 8.42 4.30 10.40
During 2025-26 (till October), 14,53,227 passengers were recorded on NW-4. Further,
as on 03.12.2025, 740 vessels have been registered in Jalyan & Navik portal by the
Inland Waterways Transport Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh including
for NW-4.
(f) The challenges faced in the development and operation of NW-4 are the
presence of 6 weirs, 28 dams, 8 barrages & 14 check dams without navigation lock
and 114 bridges out of which 89 do not comply with the regulations laid by IWAI for
safe navigation. The measures to resolve these issues have been taken up with the
State Government(s) concerned.Annexure-I
Details of approved works on NW-4 with physical progress
Sl. Description of works Value (in State Status/ Remarks
no. Rs. Cr.)
1. Updation of DPR for NW-4 5.22 Andhra Pradesh, Physical
Tamil Nadu, progress-
Maharashtra, 27%
Telangana, Completion
Karnataka, by July,
Puducherry and 2026.
Chhattisgarh
2. 3 nos. steel pontoons in River 8.08 Telangana Physical
Krishna Progress-
49%
Completion
by Apr,
2026.
3. Construction of boundary wall, 13.27 Andhra Pradesh Physical
Ro-Ro ramp and other Progress-
ancillaries undertaken at 18%
Muktyala Completion
by July
2026.
4. Construction of boundary wall, 5.00 Andhra Pradesh Physical
Ro-Ro ramp and other Progress-
ancillaries undertaken at 2%
Harishchandrapuram Completion
by July
2026.
5. 6 nos. steel pontoons in River 11.86 Andhra Pradesh Work to be
Godavari awarded by
15.01.2026
Total 43.43Annexure-II
Operational /under development stretches of NW-4.
Sl. State River / Canal Stretch Length
No. (in Km)
Andhra Pradesh River Godavari 127
1. Bhadrachalam to Polavaram
Polavaram to Rajahmundry 44
River Krishna 86
Wazirabad to Pulichintala
Pulichintala to Prakasam barrage 71
2. Telangana Pulichintala dam to Srisailam (River 32*
Krishna)
*To be made operational by July 2026Annexure-III
Year wise Fund Allocated & Disbursement for NW-4
SI. Figures Physical progress
Financial Year
No. (inRs. Lakhs) (in percentage)
1 2024-25 121.50 100
2 2023-24 67.26 100
3 2022-23 18.17 100
4 2021-22 307.85 100
5 2020-21 295.75 100
6 2019-20 441.24 100
7 2018-19 2079.91 100
8 2017-18 1478.05 100
9 2016-17 95.78 100
10 2015-16 256.97 100
11 2014-15 179.06 100
12 2013-14 85.30 100
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