The Union government has said that development of the National Waterway-104 in Andhra Pradesh, along the Tungabhadra river, is in an initial stage.
In a written reply to the query by Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath on the progress of the waterway, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said in Lok Sabha that though the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) had planned to establish a floating jetty near the Sureshkul Barrage for river cruise tourism, no project approvals had been granted so far.
The Minister said that in the past five years, no funds had been allocated, released, or utilised for the development of NW-104. Consequently, multimodal connectivity and other developmental initiatives had not begun and no cargo transport had been recorded on the waterway.
Structural challenges such as low water flow, presence of check-dams, barrages without navigational locks, and bridges lacking proper clearance continued to restrict the operational use of NW-104, Mr. Sonowal added.
Published – December 12, 2025 08:08 pm IST
