The Union government has undertaken a series of projects to modernise inland water transport (IWT) facilities across the North-Eastern States, with investments spanning multiple national waterways and related infrastructure.
According to information provided to the Rajya Sabha, the comprehensive development of National Waterway-2 (NW-2) on the Brahmaputra River has been carried out at a cost of Rs 498 crore between 2020–21 and 2024–25. The projects include the construction of terminals at Bogibeel and Jogighopa, tourist jetties at Bogibeel and Pandu, regular fairway development works, and the installation of navigational aids to support shipping and navigation. In addition, a ship repair facility at Pandu and an elevated road connecting National Highway 27 with Pandu Port and the ship repair facility are under construction at a cost of Rs 419 crore.
On National Waterway-16 (NW-16) on the Barak River, development works costing Rs 134.72 crore have been undertaken since 2020–21. These include the upgradation of terminals at Badarpur and Karimganj, fairway development, maintenance of navigational aids, and the procurement of amphibian dredgers.
National Waterway-57 (NW-57) on the Kopili River has been operationalised, with 300 metric tonnes of cement transported from Chandrapur in Kamrup district to Hatsingimari in South Salmara–Mankachar district.
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Under the Central Sector Schemes for the development of inland water transport in the North-Eastern States, several projects have been sanctioned for terminal and fairway development, along with the procurement of small passenger vessels.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is also promoting river cruise tourism in the region. The Inland Waterways Authority of India, an autonomous body under the ministry, is developing dedicated cruise terminals on NW-2. Locations identified for these terminals include Guwahati, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat, and Guijan.
In addition, a Special Purpose Vehicle comprising Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, the Inland Waterways Authority of India, and the Inland Water Transport and Tourism Department of the Government of Assam has taken up the development of a religious tourism circuit. The proposed circuit will connect seven temples: Lachit Ghat, Aswanta Temple Ghat, Doul Govinda Mandir Ghat, Hanuman Mandir Ghat at Uzan Bazar, Umananda Ghat, Pandunath Ghat, and Kamakhya Temple, using suitable vessels under a hop-on, hop-off model.
The details were shared by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
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