Assam’s Waterways Sector Boosted by ₹4,800 Billion Investment for Growth and Sustainability
Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, announced an investment of over 4,800 billion rupees to transform the domestic waterways sector of Assam in Guwahati. This investment aims to harness the state’s intricate waterway system’s potential to drive regional growth and development in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. Sonowal also allocated 1,500 billion rupees for transitioning to green ships by 2030 under the Harit Nauka scheme.
Furthermore, significant investments were planned for cruise tourism and enhancing loading capacity by 2027-28 in NW2 and NW16. Specific projects included constructing infrastructure in various locations such as Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamti Ghat, and Guijan, as well as developing a new building for regional offices and other facilities in Guwahati. The government also entrusted the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to maintain Fairway from Bangladesh to Pandu in NW-2, with an allocated budget of 191 billion rupees.
Noteworthy developments also include the establishment of a Water Metro service in Guwahati and Dhubri, the use of electric catamarans built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, and the construction of a world-class cruise terminal in Guwahati. Additionally, investments were set aside for projects like a regional excellence center in Dibrugarh and fairway development between Pandu and Bogibel. Overall, the Indian domestic Waterways Authority (Iwai) is spearheading projects worth 1,010 billion rupees along the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers in Assam as part of the Sagarmala program.
