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NW-1

Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly River System

India's most developed inland waterway, running from Haldia on the Hooghly estuary to Prayagraj on the Ganga, and the corridor of the Jal Marg Vikas Project.

Uttar PradeshBiharJharkhandWest BengalGangaBhagirathiHooghly
Key Facts
Declared length
1,620 km
n.d.MoPSW
Declared by
National Waterways Act, 2016
Dredged fairway width
45 m bottom width
Dredging Management Plan parameterIWAI
Design vessel
1,500–2,000 DWT
Project design objectiveIWAI
JMVP sub-corridor
1,390 km (Varanasi – Haldia)
Cargo moved, FY 2024-25
16.38 MT
FY 2024-25MoPSW
Route

NW-1 Route Map

Key stops along the waterway corridor.

Prayagrajcity
Varanasiterminal
Ghazipurcity
Patna (Gaighat)terminal
Sahibganjterminal
Farakkacity
Kolkataport
Haldiaport
Technical

Navigational Depth

Target depths by stretch. Values are project targets, not uniform across the entire waterway.

Haldia – Barh
3.0 m
Dredging Management Plan target
Barh – Ghazipur
2.5 m
Dredging Management Plan target
Ghazipur – Varanasi
2.2 m
Dredging Management Plan target
Infrastructure

Facilities & Fixtures

Navigation, cargo handling, storage and connectivity infrastructure on this waterway.

Multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj, Haldia)
Inter-modal terminals and fixed jetties
Floating terminals and pontoon jetties
Cranes, hoppers and conveyor handling systems
Storage yards, warehouses and container yards
Weighbridges
Navigation aids and buoys
River Information System (RIS)
Road connectivity to national highways
Rail connectivity at multi-modal terminals
Navigational lock at Farakka
Commodities

Cargo Transported

Major commodities moved on this waterway.

CoalFly ashCement and clinkerStone chipsFood grainsFertilizersContainersConstruction materialsOver-dimensional cargo
Development

Projects & Initiatives

Government projects and development programmes on this waterway.

Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP)

Capacity augmentation of navigation on the 1,390 km Haldia–Varanasi stretch: fairway development, multi-modal and inter-modal terminals, navigational lock at Farakka, navigation aids and River Information Systems. Revised project cost of Rs 5,061.15 crore with World Bank technical and financial support.

Source
Arth Ganga

Economic development model along the Ganga linking waterway infrastructure with cluster-based economic activity, riverine livelihoods, agriculture and tourism.

Source
Terminal operation through PPP

IWAI has handed terminals along the JMVP corridor to private operators, including the Kalughat inter-modal terminal, with cargo operations commencing at the Haldia multi-modal terminal.

Source
Obstacles

Challenges

Key operational and structural challenges on this waterway.

Maintaining Least Available Depth (LAD) across long stretches
Heavy siltation requiring recurring maintenance dredging
Wide seasonal variation between monsoon and dry season
Vertical clearance under older bridges
Last-mile road and rail evacuation at some terminals