Parliament Question: River Development and Waterway Projects

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3354 ANSWERED ON 07.08.2026 RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND WATERWAY PROJECTS 3354. SHRI ADHIKARI SOUMENDU : Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: प(cid:419)न, पोत प(cid:464)रवहन और जलमाग (cid:91) म(cid:287)ं ी (a) whether the Government proposes to undertake a wide array of river-focused projects aimed at improving flood management, inland waterway transportation, regional tourism and irrigation and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government has undertaken/proposes to undertake projects relating to river-linking, riverfront development, erosion control, desiltation of rivers and development of waterways in West Bengal; and (c) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL) (a) to (c) As informed by Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Government of India has formulated National Perspective Plan under which 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects have been identified. These ILR projects generally help in improving flood management, inland waterway transportation, regional tourism including irrigation, drinking water and industrial water. Details of ILR projects to benefit West Bengal and their status is given below: Sl. Name States benefited Status No 1. Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M- Assam, West Feasibility Report S-T-G) link Bengal & Bihar (FR) completed 2. Jogighopa-Tista - Farakka link Assam, West Pre Feasibility (Alternative to M-S-T-G) Bengal & Bihar Report completed(The proposal has been dropped) 3. Farakka -Sundarbans link West Bengal FR completed 4. Ganga (Farakka) - Damodar- West FR completed Subarnarekha link Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand 5. Subarnarekha-Mahanadi link West Bengal & FR completed Odisha Further, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways has undertaken projects for ensuring seamless navigation, improving multimodal connectivity and facilitating cargo and passenger movement on NWs in West Bengal. The details of projects completed/ undertaken in West Bengal by IWAI are given at Annexure.Annexure Details of projects completed/ undertaken in West Bengal by IWAI: A. Completed Projects i. S. Name of Project Details No. Development of Multimodal Terminal 1 Completed in 2023 (MMT) at Haldia Development of New Navigational Lock 2 Completed in 2024 Gate in Farakka Farakka – Kahalgaon (LAD based dredging for 5 years 3 Fairway Development completed) Completed in 2023 4 Development of community jetties Completed at 22 locations Hydrographic survey (River Ichamati NW- 5 Completed in 2022-23 44) Removal of Water Hyacinth from Tentulia 6 to Kalanchi stretch for 23.38 km on Completed in 2023-24 Ichamati river in NW-44 Construction &installation of Gangway & 7 Completed in 2023-24 pontoon in River Rupnarayan NW-86 100m length at Kolaghat Bank protection works in River 8 terminal – Completed in 2022- Rupnarayan NW-86 23 Procurement & Supply of 2NM LED lights 9 Solar Operated in the river Rupnarayan Completed in 2023-24 NW-86 Construction of road from Kolaghat terminal to NH 41 for a length of 3.9 Km 10 Completed in 2022-23 (except 01 no RCC culvert) in the river Rupnarayan NW-86 Fairway development, 24 hour navigation, Maintenance of Integrated Office Works carried our during the 11 Complex(Customs, Immigration-State period 2014-15 to 2023-24 police and IWAI) at Hemnagar in IBP route of Sunderban Waterways Supply and installation of 04 nos. 12 navigational buoys near Ghoramora Completed in 2023-24 islando Night Navigational facilities from Bansjahari-Mallikpur to Bashirhat Bridge - 7.0 13 Works in River Ichamati (NW-44) km completed. o Design and Construction of Single Lane Bridge completed 14 Installation of 1 Ro-Pax jetty Installed at Manikchak in 2026 B. Ongoing Projects S. Name of Project Details No. Development of additional Being constructed at 5 locations - 1 community jetties at 5 Completion by Sep-2026 (Cost: Rs.21.4 locations cr.) Onshore facilities for Being constructed for 8 locations - (Cost: 2 community jetties Rs.5.6 cr.) Renovation/ Modernization of Works ongoing - Completion by Q3-2026 3 existing Navigational Lock at (Cost: Rs. 210 cr.) Farakka o Farakka – Kahalgaon: Completion by Q2-2027 (Cost: Rs. 98 cr.) o Farakka – Katwa: Completion by Q2-2027 (Cost: Rs.58.5 cr.) o Katwa – Tribeni: Completion by Q2- 4 Fairway Maintenance 2027 (Cost: Rs.57.8 cr.) o MMT-Haldia Access Channel: Completion by Q2-2027 (Cost: Rs.50.6 cr.) Works in River Ichamati Dredging by departmental Amphibian 5 (NW-44) dredger– Cost: Rs.3.9 cr. O&M of navigational lighted posts, snag/ Works in River Rupnarayan 6 caution marks with retro reflective sticker (NW-86) & project sign board Development of Intermodal 7 Ongoing through SMPK (Kolkatta Port) terminal at Balagarh Rail Connectivity for MMT 8. Construction for Phase I ongoing Haldia *****