Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways which is responsible for the development and maintenance of national waterways in India. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is a statutory body set up in 1986 through the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985 for regulation and development of inland waterways for
the purposes of shipping and navigation in the country. It primarily administers the provisions of the Act and frames the rules thereunder and is directly responsible for the regulation and development of national waterways. The mandate of IWAI is fast evolving from a regulator to a facilitator in development of waterways, improving navigation and enhancing transportation capacity on such waterways through Private participation. While the five National Waterways (NW-1 to NW-5) were declared between 1986-2008, additional 106 NWs were declared in 2016, under the National Waterways Act, 2016 in April 2016. The Government is developing NW-1 under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs. 5369 crore.
