← All questionsGS1 · 2016 · Geography ·Inland Water Transport: Problems and Prospects
MAINS 2016
GS1
12.5 marks

Enumerate the problems and prospects of inland water transport in India.

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9 min
200 words
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What the examiner wants

List the problems and the future prospects of inland water transport in India.

EnumerateList the points, each with a one-line explanation.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Problems: seasonal flows and low draft, siltation, poor terminals and night navigation, lack of last-mile connectivity, low private investment, competition from rail/road≈45 words
  2. 2Prospects: cheapest and greenest mode, cargo like coal and fertiliser, Jal Marg Vikas, Sagarmala, Indo-Bangladesh protocol routes, river cruises≈45 words
  3. 3Way forward: dredging, multimodal terminals, ro-ro, PPP≈45 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

StatusProblemsProspects with projectsWay forward

Where marks usually go

  • Writing about coastal shipping or ports instead of inland waterways
  • No waterway names

Draw this

  • Map of NW-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra), NW-3 (West Coast Canal)

Value addition

  • LawNational Waterways Act 2016 declared 106 new national waterways, taking the total to 111.National Waterways Act, 2016
  • ProjectJal Marg Vikas Project on NW-1 (Haldia-Varanasi) with World Bank support; multimodal terminal at Varanasi opened in 2018.IWAI