Shri Sonowal terms this as a major initiative towards rejuvenating inland waterways in Assam
Dibrugarh to reclaim its glory as a hub of inland waterways transport with Bogibeel Terminal, assures Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) terminal to be developed at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, by the bank of the River Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2) in Dibrugarh, Assam. The tourist-cum-cargo IWT terminal will be developed at a cost of ₹46.60 crores and is scheduled to be completed by February, 2024. Once developed, this terminal is likely to play a pivotal role in rejuvenating inland waterways transportation in the region for both cargo and passenger movement, paving the way for growth of trade & commerce.
The IWT terminal, under the aegis of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), will have many modern features. The executing agency of the terminal is Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Construction Limited. Some major features include cargo & passenger berths, approach & other internal roads, transit shed, open storage area, truck parking area, passenger waiting area among others. The development of the terminal will play a crucial role in the development of upper Assam and nearby states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland in terms of cargo as well as passenger transportation. It will also lead to increase in eco-tourism, and easing the movement of EXIM cargo with comparatively lower transportation cost vis-a-vis others.
Considering the growing popularity of inland waterways as an economical & efficient mode of transportation, other new industries like food processing, pharmaceuticals, cement etc may come up in the region while further improving the economies of scale for existing major trade like tea, polymer, coal, fertiliser etc. The modern terminal is also likely to play a crucial role as a harbinger of growth for the tourism sector with major destinations like Sibsagar, Majuli, Itanagar, Ziro Valley, Pasighat, Roing, Tawang valley etc.
The construction of the Bogibeel IWT, will enhance industrial growth leading to further requirements of transportation needs. It will add to the socio-economic development of not only Assam but the entire North Eastern zone as a whole.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is committed towards developing Inland Waterways. An MoU to develop ‘Riverine based tourism Circuit’ was signed between Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC) and Directorate of Inland Water Transport (DIWT) Assam in Guwahati. This Sagarmala project will connect the seven historic temples namely Kamakhya, Pandunath, Ashwaklanta, Doul Govinda, Umananda, Chakreshwar and Auniati Satra situated in Guwahati. The circuit will sail from Hanuman Ghat, Uzan Bazar and will complete its journey by covering all the above-mentioned temples through waterways. The ferry service is expected to reduce the overall travel time to less than 2 hours for completing one complete circuit.
