| Mech. Marine |
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The Mechanical & Marine Wing of the Inland Waterways Authority of India is responsible for the provisioning, deployment, and lifecycle maintenance of marine vessels, dredgers, and support craft to support inland waterway operations. It also facilitates the adoption of green, energy-efficient, and emerging propulsion technologies in line with sustainable development objectives.
In addition, the Wing contributes to the framing of Act and rules and implementation of legislative and regulatory frameworks under the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 and rules framed thereunder. It ensures operational readiness of the fleet for key functions such as navigation maintenance, dredging, hydrographic surveys, and logistics support across National Waterways, thereby enabling the effective development, management, and regulation of inland water transport infrastructure in the country.
Mech Marine wing has developed a central database portal “Jalyan and Navic”. The Jalyan and Navic portal have significantly strengthened inland vessel administration by providing a centralised, transparent, and efficient digital platform for vessel and crew management. They facilitate standardised pan-India operations, real-time monitoring of inspection and certification status, improved regulatory compliance, reduced paperwork, enhanced inter-agency coordination, and better service delivery to all stakeholders.
| Key Functions of the Department |
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Key functions defining Marine Operations Department for safe and efficient waterway management:
| Function Area | Description |
| Vessel Fleet Management | This encompasses the comprehensive administration and control of vessels under IWAI’s ownership or operational responsibility. It includes fleet planning, assignment of vessels for operational tasks, tracking of vessel movements and performance, maintenance and repair coordination, survey and certification compliance, crew management, fuel and energy monitoring, asset utilisation analysis, and timely replacement or augmentation of fleet assets in accordance with operational and strategic requirements. |
| Maintenance & Repairs | This encompasses all planned and unplanned activities undertaken for preserving the serviceability, reliability, safety, and performance of operational assets and infrastructure. It includes periodic inspection, preventive and predictive maintenance, corrective repairs, dry docking, machinery overhauls, structural rectification, electrical and mechanical servicing, and replacement of defective or obsolete parts, with the objective of minimising downtime and ensuring uninterrupted operations. |
| Operational Support to Waterway Works | This encompasses all enabling arrangements and resources deployed to facilitate the planning, implementation, operation, and upkeep of inland waterway infrastructure and related activities. It includes deployment of support craft, survey teams, machinery, technical personnel, maintenance resources, mobility arrangements, and field coordination mechanisms required for execution of dredging works, fairway development, river conservancy measures, navigational aid installation and maintenance, inspection activities, and emergency response interventions. |
| Procurement & Asset Augmentation | This encompasses the end-to-end process of identifying requirements, planning, tendering, acquisition, deployment, and life-cycle management of assets necessary for effective service delivery and institutional capacity building. It also includes augmentation of existing assets through replacement, modernisation, expansion, technology upgradation, and addition of new infrastructure and equipment in response to growing operational needs and strategic objectives. |
| Marine Crew & Technical Coordination | This encompasses the planning, deployment, supervision, and integration of human resources and technical functions necessary for the smooth operation and upkeep of vessels. It includes coordination among masters, engineers, crew members, technical service providers, survey authorities, and administrative agencies for matters relating to crew certification, training, maintenance schedules, machinery performance, safety checks, inspections, training & certification, repairs, and compliance with prescribed operational and technical standards. |
| Marine Safety & Standards Compliance | Compliance encompasses the implementation and observance of all applicable safety norms, technical standards, inspection protocols, certification requirements, crew competency provisions, and operational safeguards necessary for safe and efficient vessel operations. It includes compliance with laws, rules, regulations, and approved procedures relating to vessel seaworthiness, stability, fire safety, lifesaving appliances, navigation equipment, pollution prevention, and periodic survey and certification. |
| Acts, Rules and Regulations | Mech Marine facilitates framing of Act and rules related to IWT sector. The Act and rules are comprehensive legal and regulatory framework established for governing the sector in a structured and uniform manner. The Act provides the parent legislation and overarching statutory authority; the Rules, framed thereunder, prescribe the procedures, standards, and responsibilities for implementation; and the Regulations or subordinate instructions set out detailed technical norms, operational protocols, and compliance mechanisms necessary for day-to-day administration and enforcement. |
| Green Vessel Technology Adoption | Mech Marine wing facilitates the transition from conventional fossil fuel-based vessel systems to cleaner, more energy-efficient, and low-emission alternatives such as electric propulsion, hybrid propulsion, hydrogen fuel cells, shore charging systems, energy-efficient hull designs, advanced battery systems, waste management systems, and other environmentally sustainable maritime technologies. This transition supports reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, air and noise pollution, and operating costs, while promoting sustainable and modern waterway transport. |
| Digital Platforms | Jalyan & Navic portal, single Window solution for shipping and IV Crew operations as per IV Act-2021. |
| Operational Resources and Marine Support Activities |
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The Mech Marine Wing administers a variety of marine assets and equipment essential for inland waterway operations.
| Asset Category | Purpose / Use | Indicators |
| Work Boats & Accommodation Boats | Support marine operations, crew deployment, logistics and project execution across waterways. | IWAI has commissioned multiple work and accommodation boats; recent orders include 6 work boats and 6 accommodation boats contracted for capacity augmentation. |
| Dredgers & Support Crafts | Enable fairway maintenance, channel formation and dredging operations to maintain navigable depths. | Multiple cutter suction dredgers and support crafts are deployed as part of fairway and channel management activities (varies by waterway and project cycle). |
| Tugs and Barges | Assist in towing, positioning of equipment and materials, and cargo/asset movement. | Tugs and barges are routinely deployed for manoeuvring heavier marine assets and ensuring operational responsiveness. |
| Survey & Support Vessels | Provide operational platforms for hydrographic surveys and technical work. | Survey vessels are mobilised in coordination with Hydrography and Traffic Wings for bathymetric, inspection and data collection tasks. |
| Marine Equipment & Tools | Includes navigational support systems, crane equipment, monitoring systems and auxiliary machinery used on vessels. | Installation of monitoring systems on cutter suction dredgers and other equipment enhances operational efficiency. |
| Green Initiatives |
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Historically as an environment-friendly mode of transport with optimal fuel efficiency and reduced emission levels, the following green initiatives have been undertaken in the sector:
Hybrid Electric Catamaran Vessels:
Hybrid electric catamaran refers to catamaran-type vessels designed with dual-hull configuration and fitted with an integrated propulsion arrangement comprising electric motors, battery systems, and auxiliary conventional or alternative-fuel-based power sources. Such vessels are intended to optimise power usage by allowing operation in electric mode, hybrid mode, or conventional support mode depending on route conditions, load profile, and operational requirements. The technology contributes to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, noise, vibration, and fuel costs, while also improving operational flexibility and sustainability. IWAI has commissioned four hybrid electric catamarans. Four more are in various stages of delivery.
Hydrogen fuel cell Catamaran Vessel:
Hydrogen fuel cell catamaran refers to a catamaran-type vessel designed with a dual-hull configuration and fitted with hydrogen storage systems, fuel cell modules, battery support systems, electric motors, and associated power management systems. In such vessels, hydrogen is used as the primary energy source to produce electricity through fuel cells, which in turn powers the propulsion machinery and auxiliary loads. This technology offers a zero-emission or near-zero-emission solution at the point of use, with water vapour as the principal by-product, thereby supporting environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient vessel operations. The catamaran has been commissioned in Varanasi.
Harit Nauka Scheme:
The Harit Nauka Guidelines seeks to facilitate the green transformation of inland water transport by encouraging retrofitting of existing vessels, induction of new green vessels, development of supporting infrastructure, and adoption of advanced technologies for energy efficiency and emission reduction. It provides a policy framework for decarbonisation of inland vessel operations and aligns with the broader national objective of promoting sustainable and environmentally responsible transport systems.