The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has sanctioned the Government of Assam's proposal for developing 10 waterways projects and riverine infrastructure along National Waterway-2 (NW-2) on the Brahmaputra River. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal gave this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha yesterday. These projects, approved under the Sagarmala scheme, have a total outlay of ₹645.56 crore. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, has also given in-principle approval for these projects.
As part of this initiative, important infrastructure has already been developed along NW-2 to facilitate cargo and passenger movement, as well as promote river tourism. These include:
- 12 floating terminals
- Two multimodal terminals at Pandu and Jogighopa
- Two permanent terminals at Bogibeel and Dhubri
Further, a fairway with the necessary depth and width is maintained to ensure smooth navigation for cruise vessels.
To improve riverine-based religious tourism, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on May 19, 2024, between Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC), Directorate of Inland Water Transport Assam (DIWT), and Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
This initiative seeks to connect seven temples via waterways, using "Hop-on Hop-off" vessels, covering:
1. Kamakhya Temple
2. Pandunath Temple
3. Ashwaklanta Temple
4. Doul Govinda Temple
5. Umananda Temple
6. Chakreshwar Temple
7. Auniati Satra
The government has also sanctioned three major projects, totaling ₹1,010 crore, to further develop NW-2 and other waterways.
1. Comprehensive Development of NW-2
-Sanctioned Cost: ₹474 crore
-Progress: 79.87% achieved (as of October 2024)
2. Development of Approach Road and Ship Repair Facility at Pandu
- Sanctioned Cost: ₹388 crore
- Progress: 60.68% achieved (as of October 2024)
3. Development of NW-16 and Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route
- Sanctioned Cost: ₹148 crore
- Progress: 16.39% achieved (as of October 2024)
The construction of floating RCC tourist jetties at Bogibeel and Pandu has reached 85% completion. Also, the construction of steel jetties at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamati, and Guijan is being implemented by the Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL).
In the Majuli district, a slipway construction project has been sanctioned with a cost of ₹96.6 crore under the Sagarmala Scheme.
The details of the ten approved projects are as follows:
| Proposal | Location | Cost (₹ in crore) |
|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------|
| Construction of slipway at Maya Ghat | Dhubri | 96.60 |
| Passenger terminal at Ghagor | North Lakhimpur | 26.00 |
| Slipway construction in Majuli | Majuli | 96.60 |
| Passenger terminal at Bahari | Barpeta | 91.20 |
| Passenger terminal at Goalpara | Goalpara | 92.06 |
| Passenger terminal at Guijan | Tinsukia | 36.00 |
| Passenger terminal at Kurua | Darrang | 49.00 |
| Passenger terminal at Dhubri | Dhubri | 72.10 |
| Passenger terminal at Disangmukh | Sibsagar | 40.00 |
| Passenger terminal at Matmora | North Lakhimpur | 46.00 |
This ambitious investment emphasizes the government’s promise to leverage inland waterways for transportation, tourism, and regional connectivity. (PR)