Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma highlighted the importance of establishing waterway connectivity for transporting and exporting goods from local industries. He directed officials to prepare a detailed report to advance the proposed Jawai–Luni–Rann of Kutch National Waterway (NW-48). The state government, under his leadership, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for the development of NW-48 on October 27, 2025.
At a meeting in the Chief Minister’s Office on National Waterway-48, Professor K. Murali of IIT Madras presented the progress and preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Once operational, the National Waterway is expected to significantly benefit industries and traders in Rajasthan and neighboring states by facilitating seamless cargo transportation. The project aims to enhance the state’s overall development, promote trade activities, and reduce logistics costs substantially.
The operationalization of NW-48 will enable uninterrupted cargo movement to the Arabian Sea through the Rann of Kutch. This waterway, spanning Rajasthan and Gujarat, is anticipated to ease the transportation of various essential commodities like petrochemicals, minerals, cement, chemicals, and industrial goods. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources) Abhay Kumar, IWAI Chairman Sunil Paliwal, Principal Secretary (Finance) Vaibhav Galriya, and other senior officials from relevant departments.
