Odisha will develop and operationalise National Waterway–5 and National Waterway–64 to facilitate seamless transportation of coal and other bulk cargo from the Talcher coalfields to Paradip and Dhamra ports through inland waterways.

The waterways will be developed with an estimated investment of ₹12,200 crore. Once operational, coal, minerals and steel from Angul and neighbouring industrial zones can be transported more efficiently.

National Waterway–64 on the Mahanadi, considered the lifeline of Odisha, stretches from Paradip to Cuttack, while National Waterway–5 connects Talcher and Dhamra via the Brahmani, Matai, East Coast Canal and Mahanadi delta. The system is expected to significantly reduce pressure on road transport, officials said.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday during India Maritime 2025 in Mumbai among the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Odisha government, Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL).

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Shantanu Thakur. Odisha commerce and transport secretary Usha Padhee said: “This agreement marks a major step toward harnessing Odisha’s riverine system for sustainable freight movement. It will cut logistics costs, decongest road and rail networks, and promote green transport, aligning with Viksit Bharat @2047.”

The project will be executed through a special purpose vehicle — Inland Waterways Consortium of Odisha Limited (IWCOL). IWAI will prepare project proposals, secure clearances and build terminals, barrages and navigation systems. The state will provide land and approvals, MCL will ensure cargo movement and PPA will promote cargo handling.