National Waterways in India: Quick Answer
India has 111 National Waterways (NWs), declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016. They cover about 20,275 km across 24 states. 29 of them were operational as of 31 July 2025, according to a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The longest is NW-1 (1,620 km) on the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly system, from Prayagraj to Haldia. The body that develops and regulates them is the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Total = 111 (5 old + 106 new, 2016 Act). Longest = NW-1, 1,620 km. NW-2 = Brahmaputra, 891 km. NW-3 = Kerala canals, 205 km. Operational = 29 (July 2025). IWAI = set up 27 October 1986, headquarters Noida.
Why do websites show 13, 29 or 32? Older pages say 13 — stale. The official list as of 31 July 2025 names 29, and a later PIB release reports 32. This page uses the dated 29-waterway list, the last one published with every waterway named. This page is as of 7 November 2026.
What Is a National Waterway?
A National Waterway is a river, canal, backwater or creek that Parliament has declared fit for shipping and navigation, so the Central Government — through IWAI — can develop it with fairways, terminals, navigation aids and jetties. Most Indian rivers are not National Waterways.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| The law | National Waterways Act, 2016 (Act No. 17 of 2016; in force 12 April 2016) |
| Total declared | 111 — 5 declared earlier under separate Acts + 106 declared by the 2016 Act |
| Total length | About 20,275 km across 24 states (Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways) |
| The authority | Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory body |
| IWAI set up | 27 October 1986, under the IWAI Act, 1985 |
| IWAI headquarters | Noida, Uttar Pradesh |
Before 2016 there were only five National Waterways, each declared by its own Act between 1986 and 2008. The 2016 Act merged those five Acts and added 106 more in one stroke — hence "5 + 106 = 111".
The First Five National Waterways (Learn These First)
These five were declared before the 2016 Act, carry almost all the traffic, and are asked again and again.
| NW | River / system | Stretch | Length | States / UT | Declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NW-1 | Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly | Prayagraj–Haldia | 1,620 km | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal | 1986 |
| NW-2 | Brahmaputra | Sadiya–Dhubri | 891 km | Assam | 1988 |
| NW-3 | West Coast Canal, Champakara and Udyogmandal canals | Kottapuram–Kollam | 205 km | Kerala | 1993 |
| NW-4 | Godavari–Krishna rivers + Kakinada–Puducherry canals | Kakinada–Puducherry | 1,095 km | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry | 2008 |
| NW-5 | Brahmani, East Coast Canal, Matai, Mahanadi delta | Talcher–Dhamra and connected stretches | 588 km | Odisha, West Bengal | 2008 |
Notes on the two disputed lengths. NW-4 is 1,095 km in the Act schedule summary and most references; the Ministry's text page gives 1,078 km, and some PIB lists quote 2,890 km for the full extended canal system. Use 1,095 km in exams. NW-5 is 588 km by IWAI; the schedule summary used by Wikipedia totals its four component stretches (265 + 217 + 40 + 101 km) at 623 km. Use 588 km in exams. NW-3 is sometimes quoted at 365 km; the declared length is 205 km.
NW-1 is developed under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with multimodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia, an intermodal terminal at Kalughat, and a new navigation lock at Farakka. NW-1, NW-2 and NW-16 are linked to Bangladesh through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol routes.
How the Total Reached 111
| Stage | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1986–2008 | Five waterways declared one by one: NW-1 (1986), NW-2 (1988), NW-3 (1993), NW-4 and NW-5 (both 2008). |
| 2016 | The National Waterways Act, 2016 declares 106 more waterways and merges the five earlier Acts. Total: 111. |
| After 2016 | Feasibility studies for the 106 new waterways; an action plan was drawn up for 26 waterways found viable for cargo and passenger movement. |
| 2025 | 29 operational (31 July 2025 list). A later release carrying 2025-26 data reports 32 operational; the additions are not named in that release, so this page does not guess them. |
Most of the 106 are small rivers and creeks that are declared but not yet developed. The exam-relevant set is the first five plus the operational list below. The longest of the 106 new waterways is NW-110, the Yamuna (1,089 km), also the third-longest in the whole network. The shortest waterway in the schedule is NW-69, the Manimuthar River in Tamil Nadu (5 km).
One naming trap: NW-6 and NW-16 both cover the Barak River in Assam. The operational list names NW-16, not NW-6.
Operational National Waterways (29, as of 31 July 2025)
This is the official list from the Rajya Sabha reply of 2025, with lengths and states from the Act schedule.
| NW | River / system | Stretch | Length (km) | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NW-1 | Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly | Prayagraj–Haldia | 1,620 | UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal |
| NW-2 | Brahmaputra | Sadiya–Dhubri | 891 | Assam |
| NW-3 | West Coast Canal + canals | Kottapuram–Kollam | 205 | Kerala |
| NW-4 | Krishna–Godavari systems | Kakinada–Puducherry | 1,095 | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry |
| NW-5 | East Coast Canal, Brahmani, Matai, Mahanadi delta | Talcher–Dhamra and connected stretches | 588 | Odisha, West Bengal |
| NW-8 | Alappuzha–Changanassery Canal | Alappuzha–Changanassery | 28 | Kerala |
| NW-9 | Alappuzha–Kottayam–Athirampuzha Canal | Alappuzha–Athirampuzha | 38 | Kerala |
| NW-10 | Amba River | Amba River | 45 | Maharashtra |
| NW-14 | Baitarani River | Baitarani River | 49 | Odisha |
| NW-16 | Barak River | Barak River | 121 | Assam |
| NW-23 | Budhabalanga River | Budhabalanga River | 56 | Odisha |
| NW-27 | Cumbarjua Canal | Cumbarjua Canal | 17 | Goa |
| NW-31 | Dhansiri–Chathe | Dhansiri–Chathe rivers | 110 | Assam |
| NW-44 | Ichamati River | Ichamati River | 64 | West Bengal |
| NW-47 | Jalangi River | Jalangi River | 131 | West Bengal |
| NW-48 | Jawai–Luni–Rann of Kutch | Jawai–Luni system | 590 | Rajasthan, Gujarat |
| NW-53 | Kalyan–Thane–Mumbai, Vasai Creek, Ulhas | Kalyan–Mumbai waterway | 145 | Maharashtra |
| NW-64 | Mahanadi River | Mahanadi River | 425 | Odisha |
| NW-68 | Mandovi River | Mandovi River | 41 | Goa |
| NW-73 | Narmada River | Narmada River | 227 | Gujarat |
| NW-83 | Rajpuri Creek | Rajpuri Creek | 31 | Maharashtra |
| NW-85 | Revdanda Creek–Kundalika River | Revdanda–Kundalika | 31 | Maharashtra |
| NW-86 | Rupnarayan River | Rupnarayan River | 72 | West Bengal |
| NW-87 | Sabarmati River | Sabarmati River | 212 | Gujarat |
| NW-91 | Shastri River–Jaigad Creek | Shastri–Jaigad | 52 | Maharashtra |
| NW-94 | Son River | Son River | 160 | Bihar |
| NW-97 | Sunderbans waterways | Sunderbans waterways | 654 | West Bengal |
| NW-100 | Tapi River | Tapi River | 436 | Maharashtra, Gujarat |
| NW-111 | Zuari River | Zuari River | 50 | Goa |
West Bengal and Maharashtra touch the most operational waterways (6 each — West Bengal: NW-1, NW-5, NW-44, NW-47, NW-86 and NW-97; Maharashtra: NW-10, NW-53, NW-83, NW-85, NW-91 and NW-100). NW-1, NW-2, NW-3, NW-8 and NW-9 carry cargo, cruise and passenger traffic. Ferry services run on 23 waterways.
Longest, Shortest and Records
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| Longest National Waterway | NW-1, 1,620 km (Prayagraj–Haldia) |
| Second longest | NW-4, 1,095 km (Kakinada–Puducherry) |
| Third longest | NW-110, Yamuna, 1,089 km — the longest of the 106 new waterways |
| Shortest | NW-69, Manimuthar River, Tamil Nadu, 5 km |
| Longest in one state only | NW-2, Brahmaputra, 891 km, entirely in Assam |
| Most states crossed (first five) | NW-1, four states (UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal) |
| Only canal-based waterway of the first five | NW-3 (West Coast Canal and two feeder canals, Kerala backwaters) |
| States touching most operational NWs | West Bengal and Maharashtra (6 each) |
| First cruise on the network | MV Ganga Vilas, flagged off 13 January 2023 — the world's longest river cruise, about 3,200 km in 51 days, Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh |
The NW-1-is-longest trap: some Q&A pages wrongly say NW-2 is the longest waterway in India. NW-1 (1,620 km) is nearly twice as long as NW-2 (891 km).
Common Mistakes Students Make
- "13 operational waterways." Stale — from older Testbook pages. The official count was 29 as of 31 July 2025, and a later release reports 32. Always check the date on the count.
- "NW-2 is the longest." Wrong — NW-1 is, at 1,620 km.
- "NW-5 is in Uttar Pradesh." Wrong — NW-5 is in Odisha and West Bengal.
- "NW-2 was declared in 1982." Wrong — 1982 is the year of the NW-1 declaration Act. NW-2 was declared on 1 September 1988.
- "All 111 waterways are navigable." Wrong — 111 are declared; only about 29–32 are operational.
- Mixing up NW-4 and NW-5 lengths. NW-4 = 1,095 km (Godavari–Krishna); NW-5 = 588 km (Brahmani–Mahanadi delta). NW-4 is the longer one.
- "Allahabad–Haldia" in current answers. The stretch is now written Prayagraj–Haldia. Older books still print Allahabad; the waterway is the same.
How to Remember National Waterways
- Learn the split first: 5 + 106 = 111, all under the 2016 Act.
- Learn the first-five ladder: 1,620 – 891 – 205 – 1,095 – 588. NW-3 breaks the pattern: the short canal waterway.
- Learn the year ladder: 1986 – 1988 – 1993 – 2008 – 2008. The last two are the "2008 twins".
- K-3 for NW-3: Kottapuram, Kollam, Kerala — all three start with K.
- IWAI = 1986, the same year as NW-1. One year, two facts.
- Learn the operational count with its date: 29 as of July 2025. A bare "29" without a date will go stale, exactly as "13" did.
National Waterways MCQs with Answers
Q1. How many National Waterways have been declared in India under the National Waterways Act, 2016? (a) 106 (b) 111 (c) 29 (d) 32 Answer: (b) 111 — 5 declared earlier plus 106 declared by the 2016 Act.
Q2. Which is the longest National Waterway in India? (a) NW-2 (b) NW-4 (c) NW-1 (d) NW-110 Answer: (c) NW-1 — 1,620 km, Prayagraj to Haldia.
Q3. NW-2 is on which river, and between which places? (a) Ganga, Prayagraj–Haldia (b) Brahmaputra, Sadiya–Dhubri (c) Godavari, Bhadrachalam–Rajahmundry (d) Barak, Lakhipur–Bhanga Answer: (b) Brahmaputra, Sadiya–Dhubri, 891 km in Assam.
Q4. NW-3, the West Coast Canal waterway, is in which state? (a) Tamil Nadu (b) Karnataka (c) Kerala (d) Goa Answer: (c) Kerala — Kottapuram–Kollam, 205 km.
Q5. In which year was the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) set up, and where is its headquarters? (a) 1985, Delhi (b) 1986, Noida (c) 1988, Kolkata (d) 2016, Mumbai Answer: (b) 1986, Noida — set up on 27 October 1986 under the IWAI Act, 1985.
Q6. How many National Waterways were operational as of 31 July 2025? (a) 13 (b) 26 (c) 29 (d) 111 Answer: (c) 29, per the Rajya Sabha reply. The figure 13 is stale.
Q7. NW-5 is located in which states? (a) Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (b) Odisha and West Bengal (c) Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (d) Assam and West Bengal Answer: (b) Odisha and West Bengal — 588 km.
Q8. NW-4 connects Kakinada to Puducherry along which river systems? (a) Ganga and Yamuna (b) Godavari and Krishna (c) Mahanadi and Brahmani (d) Narmada and Tapi Answer: (b) Godavari and Krishna, 1,095 km.
Q9. Which is the longest of the 106 waterways declared by the 2016 Act? (a) NW-97 Sunderbans (b) NW-110 Yamuna (c) NW-45 Indira Gandhi Canal (d) NW-64 Mahanadi Answer: (b) NW-110, the Yamuna, 1,089 km.
Q10. Cargo traffic on National Waterways rose from 18.10 million tonnes in 2013-14 to how much in 2024-25? (a) 72 million tonnes (b) 100 million tonnes (c) 145.5 million tonnes (d) 218 million tonnes Answer: (c) 145.5 million tonnes.
National Waterways FAQs
How many National Waterways are there in India?
111, declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016 — 5 declared earlier plus 106 declared by the 2016 Act — covering about 20,275 km across 24 states.
Which is the longest National Waterway in India?
NW-1, the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly system, 1,620 km from Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) to Haldia (West Bengal), through Bihar and Jharkhand.
How many National Waterways are operational?
29, as of 31 July 2025, per the Rajya Sabha reply. A later PIB release carrying 2025-26 data reports 32; the additional waterways are not named in that release.
Who develops and regulates National Waterways?
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory body set up on 27 October 1986 under the IWAI Act, 1985, headquartered at Noida.
What did the National Waterways Act, 2016 do?
It declared 106 additional waterways as National Waterways, merged the five earlier Acts that had declared NW-1 to NW-5, and brought the total to 111. It came into force on 12 April 2016.
Is NW-2 the longest National Waterway?
No. NW-1 (1,620 km) is the longest, and NW-4 (1,095 km) is longer than NW-2 as well. NW-2 (Brahmaputra, 891 km) is the third-longest of the original five. Some Q&A pages get this wrong.
Which National Waterway is on the Yamuna river?
NW-110, the Yamuna, 1,089 km — the longest of the 106 waterways added in 2016.
Related topics: revise Indian rivers origin and end list, major dams of India, important lakes in India and Ramsar sites in India 2026 next. Also see International Airports in India. Also see National Highways in India: Longest, State-wise List with Numbers (2026).
Practice Next
- Tributaries: Tributaries of Indian Rivers — left and right bank lists for 10 river systems.
- Test yourself: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01
- Geography practice: RRB NTPC Geography Mock Test 01
- More free notes: All Study Notes
Sources: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, "About National Waterways" (Sagar Vidya Kosh); PIB Rajya Sabha reply, "29 operational National Waterways as of 31.07.2025" (PRID 2155477); PIB release on inland waterways development (PRID 2290484) — 32 operational waterways, 5,155 km navigable length; PIB, "Cargo traffic on National Waterways hits record high of 145.5 million tonnes in FY 2024-25" (15 April 2025); Act schedule list of National Waterways (lengths, stretches, states). NW-4 and NW-5 length conflicts are recorded above. As of 7 November 2026.