Guwahati, Feb 26: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal today announced an investment of over ₹4,800 crores to transform Assam’s inland waterways sector at the Advantage Assam 2.0 investment summit.
Speaking at the session on Assam’s Roads, Railways, and Riverine Tourism, Sonowal highlighted the immense potential of the state’s waterways in driving economic growth and aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized how, under Modi’s leadership since 2014, inland waterways have been revived from decades of neglect to play a crucial role in trade and commerce. With its vast network of rivers, particularly the Brahmaputra (NW2) and Barak (NW16), Assam is poised to reclaim its historical status as a major trade conduit, with waterways offering an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly mode of transport.
The minister announced a ₹1,500 crore allocation under the Harit Nauka scheme to transition conventional vessels into Green Vessels by 2030. Another ₹1,500 crores has been earmarked to develop cruise tourism and enhance cargo handling capacity in NW2 and NW16 by 2027-28, which includes the construction of jetties with onshore facilities at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamati Ghat, and Guijan, along with a new Regional Office, MSDC, Guest House, and ITAT office space at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati. The government has also allocated ₹375 crores for Phase II of the Ship Repair Facility at Pandu, and ₹191 crores for maintaining an assured draft of 2.5 meters from the Bangladesh border to Pandu in NW2, a task entrusted to the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI).
Further strengthening Assam’s water-based transport, Sonowal announced the development of a Water Metro Service in Guwahati and Dhubri, with an estimated investment of ₹315 crores, inspired by the success of the Kochi Metro. Two electric catamarans, currently being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, will also be deployed. A world-class cruise terminal is planned for Guwahati with an estimated investment of ₹100 crores, while in Dibrugarh, ₹120 crores has been earmarked for the development of a Regional Centre of Excellence. Additionally, riverine lighthouses will be built at Bogibeel, Biswanath, Neamati, Pandu, and Silghat at a cost of ₹100 crores. Another ₹150 crores has been allocated for fairway development with a Least Available Depth (LAD) of 2.5 meters between Pandu and Bogibeel, alongside the procurement of two Cutter Section Dredgers for Brahmaputra (NW2).
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), which oversees national waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, is currently implementing projects worth ₹1,010 crores along the Brahmaputra (NW2) and Barak (NW16). Major projects include a ₹208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu, an alternate road from Pandu to NH27 with an investment of ₹180 crores, and new Inland Waterways Terminals at Bogibeel and Jogighopa, developed at ₹66 crores and ₹82 crores, respectively. Under the Sagarmala Scheme, the government has earmarked ₹646 crores for riverine infrastructure development across the Brahmaputra.
For the Barak River, Sonowal announced several new initiatives, including the procurement of a survey vessel, three amphibian dredgers, the construction of a crane pontoon and gangway for floating terminal facilities in Karimganj, and the construction of a steel pontoon and gangway for floating terminal facilities at Badarpur.
Read: ULFA-I cadre Arunjay Bora surrenders before Tinsukia police in Assam
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