Assam’s inland waterways get Rs 1,018 Cr boost since 2021: Sarbananda Sonowal

Guwahati, Dec 10: The inland waterways sector of Assam has undergone a tremendous transformation with an investment of more than Rs 1,018 crore by the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2021.

For the development of infrastructure through 10 key investment projects as well as the comprehensive development of Brahmaputra (National Waterway 2) and Barak (NW 16), the government is investing an additional Rs 645 crore in the current fiscal year, said the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, Sonowal affirmed the Modi Government's commitment to unlock new routes of growth and prosperity in the region via its rich web of waterways. Sonowal said, "Since 2014, the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a concerted effort to develop the waterways to ensure that the fruits of development trickle down to the interiors of the country."

The Northeast has a rich web of water bodies allowing it to access the global trade routes via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), a tie-up signed between India and Bangladesh in 2015, the Union Minister said.

"Today, our ministry is working to revitalise, re-energise, and rejuvenate the Barak-Brahmaputra with IBPR, ensuring a smooth flow of trade and riverine tourism activities, unlocking economic value for Assam, in particular, and the region, in general," Sonowal said.

The Union Minister said that in the last 10 years since 2014, India's inland waterways sector has seen a massive turnabout with a more than six-fold increase in traffic, with the number of operational waterways increasing from three in 2013-14 to 23 now. The 14,500 km of waterways are seen as the New Highways of India, providing cost-effective and eco-friendly transport options for both cargo and passengers. As India's graph rises in global logistics rankings buoyed by the PM Gati Shakti initiative, these waterways are now connecting the hinterlands to the ports, resulting in improved port efficiency, increased trade, and greater accessibility.

Sonowal further said, "The Narendra Modi government has committed an additional Rs 320 crore in 2024 for new cargo and tourist terminals, steel gangways, and pontoon structures alongside comprehensive development of the Barak and Brahmaputra up to IBPR under the Sagarmala scheme." As per the National Waterways Act, 2016, 20 rivers in the North East have been declared National Waterways (NWs), with the development of four NWs—Brahmaputra (NW-2), Barak (NW-16), Dhansiri (NW-31), and Kopili (NW-57)—progressing for cargo movement. With the NW 2 (Brahmaputra River) serving as the economic and cultural lifeline of the region, Assam, through which it passes, forms a pivotal pillar of this growth journey.

Sonowal further elaborated, "The linking of NW 1 and NW 2 via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route has been a game changer for cargo movement for the North East. We have been regularly dredging the NW2 and NW16 to maintain the fairway for the smooth sailing of cargo vessels. Record transportation of over 216,104 MT of goods via Dhubri since 2021, including food grains, machinery, and, for the first time, 10,189 MT of equipment for the Numaligarh Refinery expansion project was transported via the Brahmaputra. Similarly, for passenger transport and riverine tourism, the growth of inland waterways has also opened up newer avenues for river cruise tourism in the region."

By-

R Dutta Choudhury