The mighty Brahmaputra is the backbone for water transport and communication in Assam. It flows 700 km in Assam Valley from east to west forming 1400 km of bank area i.e., 700 km on its northern side and 700 km on the southern side. It is the main waterway in Assam which can be used to develop trade and business through water communication from Sadiya in the east to Dhubri in the west. Proper establishment of a water transport system will also tremendously boost the tourism industry in Assam.
On the banks of the Brahmaputra river, many places are situated which can be converted as river ports for transportation of passengers and goods. These are � Dhubri, Jogighopa, Tarabari (Barpeta), Nagarbera, Palashbari, Sualkuchi, Amingaon, Pandu, Guwahati, Kurua, Kharupetia, Tezpur, Biswanath-ghat, Gomiri (Gohpur), Badati-ghat (Majuli), Bebeja (Dhakuakhana), Sonari-ghat (Dhemaji), Murkokseleng (Joni), Dibrugarh, Disangmukh (Sivasagar), Neamatighat (Jorhat), Sikari-ghat (Dergaon), Dhansirimukh (Bokakhat), Silghat (Kaliabor), Moirabari (Morigaon) and Pancharatna (Goalpara). Most of the above places have ferry ports for carrying passengers and goods and running under the Inland Water Transport department of Assam.
In many places of the world, where there is a water channel, they use water taxis for the purpose of carrying passengers, goods and sightseeing purposes. Water taxis or river taxis are a kind of machine boats for public transportation. It is operated in similar manner like ferries or buses. It is a popular and cheaper mode of transport to travel to work places or just a day out instead of sitting on a crowded bus in the city. Water taxis are speedy, economical, luxurious, pollution-free mode of communication where travelling can be done in a relaxed manner. Toilet can be used as is done on a train and hot food can also be served in the water taxis.
Water taxi service can be made available in many places of Assam like Dhubri, Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sadiya etc. Water taxis having the minimum capacity of 60 passengers will be profitable for business purposes also. Sometimes it is seen that the surface communication is disrupted due to floods, road blockades, accidents etc., in Assam. Water taxis can be navigated in all seasons on Brahmaputra and in some tributaries to carry passengers and goods.
The water taxi service is much cheaper than the road service. To construct a road, there are lots of works with huge expenditure and periodic maintenance. These include acquisition of land, road development with earth-filling, laying of boulders, work done by road rollers, black topping, guard walls, concrete bridge construction on rivers and channels and widening of roads time to time. To construct such roads, engineers and staff are required with an office establishment etc.
However on waterways, the expenditure is very much lower than roadways. The basic expenditure of construction of waterways is simply nothing as it is the gift of nature. Employees are required only to maintain the river ports for better movement of the passengers and loading and unloading of goods. Therefore, use of Brahmaputra and its tributaries as waterways have a great potential for cheap transportation of passengers and goods.
If river ports are developed, there is every possibility to develop some others business like truck service for carrying goods, taxi service for passenger dropping, auto service, porter service, small hotels and eateries, ware houses for storing of goods and various kinds of shops of different commodities which will give bread and butter to many people of Assam. Supply of goods will be cheaper near the port areas and it will be easy for various trades and businesses to operate through these ports.
Some suggested route for water taxis on river Brahmaputra are: (1) Guwahati to Dhubri via Nagarbera, Tarabari and Jogighopa/Pancharatna, (2) Dhubri to Guwahati via Pancharatna/Jogighopa, Nagarbera and Tarabari, (3) Tarabari to Dhubri, Tarabari to Guwahati, (4) Guwahati to Tezpur via Moirabari and Kharupetia, (5) Guwahati to Neamatighat via Tezpur and Dhansirimukh, (6) Guwahati to Dibrugarh via Tezpur and Disangmukh, (7) Guwahati to Jonai via Gomiri and Badatighat, (8) Neamatighat to Sadiya via Sonarighat and Dholaghat, (9) Sadiya to Dibrugarh via Dholaghat, (10) Dibrugarh to Guwahati via Tezpur.
The plying of water taxis on Brahmaputra can be provided by individual, companies and government corporations or by the State government. The activities may also be provided to the public in PPP mode by the State Government or by State-run corporations.
The State Government has the responsibility of security, licencing, controlling and developing the ports of rivers. In this case, the State Government may constitute an authority like Airport Authority of India for the above functions by which a good amount of revenue could be earned by it. If the water taxi project is implemented on the river Brahmaputra, there is every possibility to generate lakhs of employment for the youth of Assam and the North-east.