Sarbananda Sonowal launches major projects for development of waterways in northeast region

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 20 : Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Tuesday launched a major push for the development of waterways, unveiling projects worth Rs 308 crore for the northeast region.
The event was simultaneously held at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, Badarpur in Karimganj, IWAI port in Dhubri as well as Sonamura in Tripura.
Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Passenger-cum-Cargo terminal at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh, Inland Water Transport Terminal at Sonamura in Tripura and upgraded terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur in Assam in Guwahati on Tuesday.
This terminal will play a pivotal role in rejuvenating IWT in the region for both cargo and passenger movement, paving the way for growth of trade & commerce.
The Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister also laid foundation stones for construction of Custom Immigration Office in Dhubri as well as construction of the compound wall for IWAI Jogighopa terminal.
The newly inaugurated Bogibeel terminal is being built with an investment of nearly Rs 50 crore.
This project includes cargo and passenger berths, approach and other internal roads, transit shed, open storage area, truck parking area, passenger waiting area. It will also lead to increase in eco-tourism as well as improve the economies of scale for existing major trade like tea, polymer, coal, fertiliser among others.
The length of this terminal will be extended to 100 metres and the construction will start immediately.
An integrated officer for Immigration, Customs and IWAI at Bogibeel is also being constructed at a cost of Rs 18 crore.
A project for bank protection and Extension of jetty at Bogibeel Terminal at a cost of Rs 12 crore would also be initiated immediately.
The IWT terminal at Sonamura is developed with an investment of Rs 6.91 crore.
The upgraded terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur was completed with an investment of Rs 6.40 crore.
The IWT Terminal at Sonamura has the potential to attract trans-boundary trade including commodities like bagged cement, horticulture, consumer products and other local goods transported via road between India and Bangladesh. This jetty is also being developed as a multi-purpose jetty to support movement of passengers on ferries between the two countries.
The renovated and upgraded terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur will further easy and increase the export activities & commodities.
The projects have major influence in districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi in Assam and adjoining states of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya due to the presence of cement industry, stone crushers, coal deposits, food processing units, tea estates, etc.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our rich and complex web of waterways are being developed with major projects launched here today."
"Modi Ki Guarantee is powering the waterways of the North East towards Viksit Bharat. The terminals at Bogibeel will act as a catalyst of economic development for the region, further amplifying trade opportunities for upper Assam as well as Arunachal Pradesh. The Sonamura terminal in Tripura will further trans-boundary trade between India and Bangladesh. The Karimganj and Badarpur terminals will also power trade opportunities. All these projects will go a long way towards realising the vision of Narendra Modi towards the North east acting as the powerhouse of India's growth towards becoming Viksit Bharat," Sarbananda Sonowal said.
The Union Minister also laid foundation stones for construction of Customs Immigration Office in Dhubri with an investment of Rs 7.5 crore. The construction of boundary wall will also start at Jogighopa terminal in Goalpara, Assam.
The wall for IWAI Jogighopa terminal, which is being built at a cost of Rs 18 crore, will secure the terminal.
As many as tourist jetties in northeast region at a cost of Rs 8.45 crore at Jogighopa, Tejpur, Bishwanathghat, Neamati, Sadiya, Bindakota would also be constructed. Three of these has already been provided and rest of the three will be provided soon. This project is introduced to upgrade the existing infrastructure along NW-2 and recognising the huge potential for cargo, passenger transportation, riverine tourism.
Two Electric Catamarans at Guwahati will be deployed in Guwahati by August, 2024. The Electric Catamarans, developed by Cochin Shipyard Limited at a cost of Rs 36 crore, will enhance communication facilities for the people of Guwahati.
The 50 pax Electric Hybrid Catamaran will be used for cross river ferry and pilgrim tourism at Guwahati. It will improve the economies of scale for existing major trade like coal, stone chips, polymer, fertiliser etc through IBP route and from Bhutan through waterways and also encourage employment & economic growth.
As many as 19 passenger vessels for NW-2 & NW-16 would be provided and two Pontoon Terminals on NW-2 would be constructed at a cost of Rs 25 crore.
Announcing new major initiatives for the development of waterways in the region, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, "It gives me immense pleasure to share with all of you that we have decided to deploy 6 tourist jetties on the National Waterways 2; i.e. River Brahmaputra."
The tourist jetties will enhance the existing infrastructure along Brahmaputra (NW2) further bolstering the promising tourism industry of the state. These jetties are being built an investment of Rs 8.45 crore.
The Electric Hybrid Catamarans, which are being deployed in Guwahati with an investment of Rs 36 crore, will introduce Green energy in inland waterways. The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), India's premier institution dedicated towards dredging operations, will commence operations on rivers Brahmaputra (NW 2) and Barak (NW 16).
The dredging operations in NER in the Dhubri-Jogighopa stretch of NW-2, Dhubri-Hatsingimari, North Guwahati-South Guwahati, Neamati- Kamlabari and Lakhipur-Bhanga on NW-16 will be done at a cost of Rs 124 crore. This project will help maintain constant and adequate draft and help seamless movement of cargo and passengers in the National Waterways of North-East.
The strategic significance is underscored by a substantial investment of over Rs 1,000 crore in the past couple of years dedicated to advancement of these waterways in the North-East.
Projects such as Comprehensive development of NW-2, Ship repair facility at Pandu (Rs 208 crore), Jogighopa IWT terminal (Rs 64 crore), last mile connectivity to Pandu port through alternative road from Pandu Port to NH-27 (Rs 180 crore) are some of the projects that are already underway.
IWAI has endeavoured to develop NW-1, passing through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, as a reliable cargo logistics route under Rs 5,000 crore under Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).
From 2013-14 onwards, the cargo movement has increased in the last decade from a mere 6.89 Million Ton in 2014 to 126.15 Million tonnes in 2022-23, showing a mammoth growth of 1,700%.
Under the Sagarmala program, aimed at the development of the North-Eastern states, projects exceeding Rs 1,000 crore have been initiated, with a particular focus on enhancing inland waterways in Assam, where projects exceeding Rs 760 crore are underway.
The Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) prioritizes the expansion of port infrastructure, including the development of six mega ports with capacities exceeding 300 and 500 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Additionally, MoPSW aims to boost the share of Inland Water Transport (IWT) to 5 per cent by 2030 as part of the Maritime India Vision (MIV).