Centre To Invest Additional Rs 1,000 Crore In Inland Waterways Projects In Assam, Northeast: Sarbananda Sonowal
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced an additional Rs 1,000 crore investment in the region’s inland water transport (IWT) sector by 2026, the ministry said in a statement.
“We are developing robust waterway infrastructure in Assam and the Northeast with projects worth Rs 1,000 crore on the anvil, targeted for completion by 2026,” Sonowal said.
He reviewed key inland waterways infrastructure projects in Assam and the Northeast.
In the review meeting, highlighting the central government’s sustained commitment, Sonowal stated that Rs 1,000 crore worth of projects have already been undertaken in the Northeast over the past two years, with Rs 300 crore worth completed and the remaining Rs 700 crore slated for completion by 2025.
The minister stressed the importance of timely delivery, optimum utilisation of funds, and upskilling the youth of the region with advanced maritime training.
The government is actively developing infrastructure on National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra) and 16 (Barak), which includes construction of passenger and cargo terminals, modern jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Guijan, and Bishwanath Ghat, and a Rs 208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu.
A Rs 100 crore cruise terminal in Guwahati and a Rs 120 crore Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh are also planned.
Water Metro services in Guwahati and Dhubri, with an investment of Rs 315 crore and two electric catamarans being built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, are in progress.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 191 crore for dredging and maintaining a 2.5-meter draft from the Bangladesh border to Pandu, aiming to ensure year-round navigability on the Brahmaputra.
Sonowal also reviewed proposals for developing IWT facilities at Doyang Lake and tourism potential at Noune and Shilloi lakes in Nagaland, along with feasibility studies on the Tiawng and Chhimtuipui rivers in Mizoram and the Umiam and Umngot rivers in Meghalaya.