Editing Transport in India (section)

=== Inland Waterways ===
{{Main|Inland Waterways Authority of India}}
[[File:India Goa Chapora River Boat.jpg|alt=|thumb|A parked vessel along the Chapora River in Goa.]]
[[File:Homeward bound.jpg|thumb|Boats sailing on National Waterway 2 at [[Guwahati]]]]

India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, [[canal]]s, [[Kerala backwaters|backwaters]] and [[stream|creeks]]. The total navigable length is {{convert|14500|km|mi}}, out of which about {{convert|5200|km|0|abbr=on}} of river and {{convert|485|km|0|abbr=on}} of canals can be used by mechanised crafts.<ref name="IWT">{{Cite web |url=http://iwai.gov.in/iwtpolicy.htm |title=Inland Water Transport Policy : Introduction |publisher=Inland Waterways Authority of India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121218215307/http://iwai.gov.in/iwtpolicy.htm |archive-date=18 December 2012 |access-date=20 June 2009}}</ref> Freight transport by waterways is highly underutilised in India compared to other large countries. The total cargo moved by inland waterways is just 0.15% of the total inland traffic in India, compared to the corresponding figures of 20% for Germany and 32% for Bangladesh.<ref name="ADBreport">{{Cite web |url=http://www.adb.org/Documents/Papers/INRM-PolicyBriefs/inrm13.pdf |title=Viability of Inland Water Transport in India |first1=Narayan |last1=Rangaraj |first2=G. |last2= Raghuram |website=INRM Policy Brief No. 13 |publisher=Asian Development Bank |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111035631/http://www.adb.org/Documents/Papers/INRM-PolicyBriefs/inrm13.pdf |archive-date=11 January 2012 |access-date=20 June 2009}}</ref>

Cargo that is transported in an organised manner is confined to a few waterways in [[Goa]], West Bengal, [[Assam]] and [[Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7KO3BQAAQBAJ&q=Cargo+that+is+transported+in+an+organised+manner+is+confined+to+a+few+waterways+in+Goa%2C+West+Bengal%2C+Assam+and+Kerala.%5B&pg=PA32 |title=Secured Techno- Economic Growth of India: Unleashing Hidden Growth Potential |last=Sekhar |first=P. |publisher=Micro Media Marketing Pvt. Ltd |isbn=9788192497853 |language=en}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the [[statutory authority]] in charge of the waterways in India. It does the function of building the necessary infrastructure in these waterways, surveying the economic feasibility of new projects and also administration and regulation.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7KO3BQAAQBAJ&q=The+Inland+Waterways+Authority+of+India+%28IWAI%29+is+the+statutory+authority+in+charge+of+the+waterways+in+India.+It+does+the+function+of+building+the+necessary+infrastructure+in+these+waterways%2C+surveying+the+economic+feasibility+of+new+projects+and+also+administration+and+regulation&pg=PA32 |title=Secured Techno- Economic Growth of India: Unleashing Hidden Growth Potential |last=Sekhar |first=P. |publisher=Micro Media Marketing Pvt. Ltd |isbn=9788192497853 |language=en}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} The following waterways have been declared as National Waterways:

* [[National Waterway 1]]: [[Prayagraj]]–[[Haldia]] stretch of the [[Ganga River|Ganga]] – [[Bhagirathi River|Bhagirathi]] – [[Hooghly River]] system with a total length of {{convert|1620|km|mi}} on 27 October 1986.<ref name="waterway123">{{Cite web |url=http://www.iwai.gov.in/Waterways.htm |title=National Waterways |publisher=[[Inland Waterways Authority of India]] (IWAI) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804150940/http://www.iwai.gov.in/Waterways.htm |archive-date=4 August 2012 |access-date=10 May 2009}}</ref>
* [[National Waterway 2]]: ''Saidiya''–[[Dhubri]] stretch of the [[Brahmaputra]] River system with a total length of {{convert|891|km|mi}} in 26 Oct 1988.<ref name="waterway123" />
* [[National Waterway 3 (India)|National Waterway 3]]: [[Kollam]]–[[Kottappuram, Thrissur|Kottappuram]] stretch of the West Coast Canal along with Champakara and Udyogmandal canals, with a total length of {{convert|205|km|mi}} in 1 Feb 1991.<ref name="waterway123" />
* [[National Waterway 4]]: [[Bhadrachalam]]–[[Rajahmundry]] and [[Wazirabad]]–[[Vijaywada]] stretch of the [[Krishna River|Krishna]]–[[Godavari]] river system along with the [[Kakinada]]–[[Puducherry (city)|Puducherry]] canal network, with a total length of {{convert|1095|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 24 Nov 2008.<ref name="expressnw">{{Cite news |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/house-committee-nod-for-two-more-national-waterways/210979/ |title=House committee nod for two more national waterways |date=18 August 2007 |work=Indian Express |access-date=10 May 2009 |archive-date=26 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326041408/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/house-committee-nod-for-two-more-national-waterways/210979/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="waterway45">{{Cite web |url=http://iwai.gov.in/twonewwaterways.pdf |title=Two New National Waterways |publisher=Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419204220/http://iwai.gov.in/twonewwaterways.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2009 |access-date=3 June 2009}}</ref>
* [[National Waterway 5]]: ''Mangalgadi''–[[Paradeep]] and [[Talcher]]–''Dhamara'' stretch of the [[Mahanadi River|Mahanadi]]–[[Brahmani river]] system along with the East Coast Canal, with a total length of {{convert|623|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 24 Nov 2008.<ref name="expressnw" /><ref name="waterway45" />