Maritime Transport System in India

Maritime Transport System in India

Maritime Transport

Central Water Tribunal

• The Central Water Tribunal was established in 1887.

• Its headquarters are in Kolkata.

Classification of Waterways

• The waterways of the country have been divided into Internal waterways and Oceanic waterways.

Fleet Strength and Indian Maritime Capacity

• According to Economic Survey 2021-22, as on 31st December, 2021, India had a fleet strength of 1463 vessels with Gross tonnage (GT) of 13,011 thousand compared to 1429 vessels and 12,746 thousand of GT at the end of 2019.

• However, Indian fleet is just 1.2% of world's fleet in terms of capacity and carries only 7.8% (for 2018-19) of India's EXIM trade.

• In order to address the cost disadvantage suffered by Indian flag ships, in July 2021 the Union cabinet has approved a scheme providing subsidy support of Rs. 1,624 crore to Indian shipping companies in global tenders floated by Ministries and CPSEs over five years to promote flagging of merchant ships in India.

Internal Waterway

Overview

• This transport is through rivers, canals and lakes.

• India has got about 14,544 km of navigable waterways which comprise rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks etc.

National Waterways

• The waterway from Haldia to Allahabad was made a National Waterway in 1986.

• About 111 inland water-ways have been declared as 'National Waterways' under the National Waterways Act 2016.
  (Source: INDIA 2021)

IWAI (Inland Waterways Authority of India)

• The IWAI came into existence on 27th October, 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.

• The Authority primarily undertakes projects for development and maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national water ways through grant received from Ministry of Shipping.

• The Head Office of the IWAI is at NOIDA.

• The authority also has its regional offices at Patna, Kolkata, Guwahati and Kochi and sub-offices at Allahabad, Varanasi, Bhagalpur, Farakka, Hemnagar, Dibrugarh, Kollam, Chennai and Vijayawada.

Jai Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)

• The JMVP is being implemented by the IWAI for the capacity augmentation of National Waterway-I on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.

[Source: India 2021]

Oceanic Waterway

Port Infrastructure

• According to INDIA 2021, India has 12 major and about 200 non-major ports along India's Coastline which is about 7,517 km.

Major Ports – East and West Coasts

• The 6 major ports on the east coast are:

  • Kolkata, Paradip, Vishakhapatnam, Kamarajar (Ennore), Chennai and V.O. Chidambaranar

• The 6 major ports on the west coast are:

  • Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT, Sheva, Navi Mumbai), and Deendayal (earlier known as Kandla)

• These major ports are under direct control of the Central Govt, and fall in Union List 7th Schedule of the constitution.

Contribution to Trade

• Approximately 95% of the country's trade by volume and 68% by value is moved through maritime transport.

• Of the total traffic handled by all Indian ports, 57% is handled by major ports and 43% by others.

• Non-major ports are included in the Concurrent List and are managed by the state government.

Major Ports & Non-Major Ports

Overview

• There are 12 major ports and 205 non-major ports in the country.

• While the Major Ports are under the administrative control of Ministry of Shipping, the non-major ports are under the jurisdiction of respective State Maritime Boards/State Government.

Functionality

• All the 12 Major ports are functional.

• Out of the 205 non-major ports, around 65 ports are handling cargo and the others are "Port Limits" where no cargo is handled.

• These are used by fishing vessels and by small ferries to carry passengers across the creeks, etc.
  (Source: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways)

Notable Ports

• Largest container handling port of India is Jawahar Lal Nehru Port in Mumbai.

• The largest natural port is Mumbai port.

• Deendayal Port (erstwhile Kandla Port) in Gujarat is a tidal port. It has been made into a free trade zone.

• Haldia Port (WB) is said to be developed as the first Green Port of India.

Major Ports of India

Ship Recycling

• In India, ship recycling is carried out mainly at Alang-Sosiya in Gujarat.

• Started in February 1983, Alang-Sosiya is the largest ship recycling yard in the world.

• Approximately 10 km long sea front on the western coast of the Gulf of Cambay, adjoining Alang-Sosiya village, has been developed as a ship recycling yard.

• It has a high recycling potential of more than 450 ships (approximately 4.50 million LDT) per annum.

Water Metro Project

Kochi Water Metro: A First in India

• Kerala government's ambitious Kochi Water Metro service is the first of its kind in India, and it was launched by the Prime Minister on 25th April, 2023.

• It is noteworthy that Kochi (Kerala) has become India's first city to have a Water Metro Project after the launch of its first boat in December 2021, namely 'Muziris', among the 23 battery-powered electric boats being manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

Project Cost and Funding

• The Kochi Water Metro project has a total value of ₹819 crores, and a major part of it is financed under Indo-German Financial Cooperation.

Current Operational Routes

• Presently, the water metro service covers two routes:

  • Vypin to the High Court

  • Vytila to Kakkanad

Final Thoughts

India's maritime transport sector is a crucial pillar of the nation's trade infrastructure and economic development. With a vast coastline of 7,500 km and over 14,500 km of navigable inland waterways, the country has strong potential for enhancing both internal and international shipping.

The development of internal waterways by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), and flagship projects like the Jal Marg Vikas Project and Sagarmala Programme showcase efforts to modernize water-based transportation.

The launch of Kochi’s Water Metro, the first of its kind in India, marks innovation in eco-friendly urban mobility. India’s major and non-major ports handle over 90% of trade by volume, with growing support for port modernization, Indian shipping, and ship recycling at Alang-Sosiya. Through ongoing investment, technological upgrades, and a focus on sustainability, India is positioning itself as a global maritime leader.