📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Deepak das
National
Odisha and Centre Accelerate Development of 588‑km National Waterway‑5
✍️ Pragativadi
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 08:38 AM
👁 2
The state government of Odisha and the Union government have agreed to fast‑track the construction of National Waterway‑5, a 588‑kilometre inland water transport corridor.
Odisha’s state administration and the Union Ministry of Shipping have signed an agreement to speed up work on National Waterway‑5, an inland navigation project spanning 588 kilometres. The joint effort aims to boost freight movement and regional connectivity by leveraging the state’s river network.
National Waterway‑5, earmarked under the central government’s inland waterways programme, will link key points across Odisha, providing a cost‑effective alternative to road and rail transport. Both governments said the partnership will streamline clearances, mobilise funding and expedite on‑ground activities.
Officials expect the accelerated schedule to generate employment, attract investment in logistics hubs and stimulate trade in the eastern coastal belt. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to develop a network of national waterways that can reduce logistics costs and decongest highways.
The centre and state have pledged coordinated monitoring mechanisms to ensure the project stays on track, with periodic reviews planned to assess progress and address bottlenecks.
National Waterway‑5, earmarked under the central government’s inland waterways programme, will link key points across Odisha, providing a cost‑effective alternative to road and rail transport. Both governments said the partnership will streamline clearances, mobilise funding and expedite on‑ground activities.
Officials expect the accelerated schedule to generate employment, attract investment in logistics hubs and stimulate trade in the eastern coastal belt. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to develop a network of national waterways that can reduce logistics costs and decongest highways.
The centre and state have pledged coordinated monitoring mechanisms to ensure the project stays on track, with periodic reviews planned to assess progress and address bottlenecks.