The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal announced an investment of more than Rs 4,800 crore to transform the inland waterways sector of Assam at the Advantage Assam 2.0 in Guwahati, today. The investment is to enable the immense potential that the complex and dynamic waterways system of the state has to offer to propel the growth and development of the region towards realising the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Viksit Bharat, Sonowal asserted at the session on Assam’s Roads, Railway and Riverine Tourism on the second day of the investment summit.
At the summit, Sarbananda Sonowal announced allocation of Rs 1,500 crore for a planned transition into Green Vessels by 2030 under the ‘Harit Nauka’ scheme. An amount of more than Rs 1,500 crore has been earmarked to facilitate cruise tourism and enhance cargo handling capacity by 2027-28 in NW2 and NW16. This includes construction of jetties with on shore facilities at Silghat, Bishwanath ghat, Neamati Ghat and Guijan along with construction of a new building for Regional Office, MSDC, Guest house and office space for ITAT at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati. An amount of Rs 375 crore is pegged for development of Phase II of Ship Repair Facility at Pandu. In order to maintain fairway, the government has entrusted Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to ensure assured draft of 2.5 meters from Bangladesh Border to Pandu in NW-2 till 2026-27. An amount of Rs 191 crore has been earmarked for this, Sonowal stated.
The Union Minister also announced the development of Water Metro Service in Guwahati and Dhubri for an estimated investment of Rs 315 crore. Based on the success of Kochi Metro Service, the feasibility study is being conducted for this. Sarbananda Sonowal also announced deployment of two Electric Catamarans being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). A world class cruise terminal will also be built in Guwahati with an estimated investment of Rs 100 crore.
In Dibrugarh, an estimated Rs 120 crore has been earmarked for development of Regional Centre of Excellence (RCOE). Adding further to the capital development along the NW2, Riverine Lighthouses will be built at FIVE places — Bogibeel, Biswanath, Nimati, Pandu and Silghat — at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. In addition, a sum of Rs 150 crore has been earmarked for fairway development with LAD of 2.5 meters between Pandu and Bogibeel. TWO Cutter Section Dredger units will also be purchased for Brahmaputra (NW2).
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for the riverine transportation including national waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), is implementing projects worth Rs 1,010 crore along river Brahmaputra (NW2) and river Barak (NW16) in Assam. Among the major projects, the ship repair facility is being built at Panda with an investment of Rs 208 crore while an alternate road from Pandu to NH27 is being built at an investment of Rs 180 crore. New Inland Waterways Terminal (IWT) at Bogibeel as well as at Jogighopa —- with more than Rs 66 crore and Rs 82 crore of investment —- are being developed on Brahmaputra to ‘enable possibilities meet opportunities’, Sonowal added.
An investment of more than Rs 646 crore has been earmarked to construct riverine infrastructure across Brahmaputra under the Sagarmala Scheme, the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. For Barak River, the Union Minister announced procurement of Survey Vessel, procurement of THREE Amphibian Dredgers, construction of Crane Pontoon and Gangway for proving Floating Terminal facilities in Karimganj, construction of Steel Pontoon and Gangway for providing Floating Terminal facilities at Badarpur among other projects.
