Jaipur, April 3 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday said that ensuring waterway connectivity for the transportation and export of goods from industries within the state is among the top priorities of the government, and directed officials to prepare a comprehensive report to advance the proposed Jawai–Luni–Rann of Kutch National Waterway (NW-48).

Chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Office on National Waterway-48, Sharma instructed the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and IIT Madras to carry out a detailed assessment of the project’s technical and financial feasibility, along with a comparative study on projected vessel traffic for cargo movement.

It may be noted that under the Chief Minister’s leadership, the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IWAI on October 27, 2025, for the development of NW-48.

During the meeting, Professor K. Murali of IIT Madras delivered a detailed presentation on the progress and preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Sharma emphasised that once operational, the National Waterway would significantly benefit industries and traders not only in Rajasthan but also in neighbouring states by enabling seamless cargo transportation.

He said the project would serve as a strong foundation for the state’s holistic development, boost trade activity, and substantially reduce logistics costs. He further noted that the operationalisation of NW-48 would enable uninterrupted cargo movement to the Arabian Sea via the Rann of Kutch.

Traversing Rajasthan and Gujarat, the waterway is expected to facilitate the transportation of key commodities such as petrochemicals, minerals, cement, chemicals, and other industrial goods.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary V. Srinivas; Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources) Abhay Kumar; Additional Chief Secretary (Chief Minister’s Office) Akhil Arora; IWAI Chairman Sunil Paliwal; Principal Secretary (Finance) Vaibhav Galriya; and other senior officials from the concerned departments.

–IANS

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