Historic agreement on water transport between Himachal Pradesh and Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC)
-Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the 3rd IWD meeting held in Kochi;
- Focus will be on eco-friendly river cruise and religious tourism circuit connecting Himachal and Punjab
New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Mukesh Agnihotri today attended the third meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWD) held in Kochi, Kerala. The high-level meeting was chaired by Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India. Symbolic of India's growing emphasis on inland water transport, the meeting was held on the cruise ship "Imperial Classic" and detailed discussions were held on the future of the country's maritime and riverine connectivity.
During the meeting, Union Minister Sonowal apprised the Council of various initiatives being undertaken for the development of inland waterways in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Laying special emphasis on the development of river cruise tourism and religious tourism circuits, he informed that the Ravi River (National Waterway-84) is being developed for river cruise tourism from Ranjit Sagar Dam to Chamera Dam at Gandhian, with the first jetty (Jetty-1) scheduled to be completed by January 2026.
The Union Minister stated that the possibility of developing the Sutlej River (National Waterway-98) as an important religious and tourist circuit is being explored. The proposed route aims to connect Tattapani and the Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh with Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab, for which a feasibility study is currently in progress.
On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Government of Himachal Pradesh, marking a significant milestone towards the collaborative development of inland waterways in the state. The agreement provides a formal framework for the modernization of the state's water-based infrastructure.
Addressing the Council, Mukesh Agnihotri strongly advocated for the accelerated development of inland waterways in Himachal Pradesh. He emphasized that since most of the rivers being developed across the country originate in Himachal Pradesh, the state is a key stakeholder in the National Inland Waterways Framework. He urged the Government of India to increase technical and financial support, particularly the provision of hydro-electric catamaran vessels. He stated that these vessels are environmentally sustainable and well-suited to the mountainous ecology of Himachal Pradesh.
The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated the State Government's commitment to working closely with the Government of India and IWAI. He underlined that the primary goal of this partnership is to promote environmentally friendly water transport and tourism development, which will create employment opportunities and accelerate the sustainable development of the region.