$55b investment modernises inland water transport in North-East India

$46.4b was allocated for Pandu Port’s ship repair facility alone.

Modernisation of inland water transport (IWT) in North-Eastern States (NES) in India thanks to transformative initiatives taken, particularly developing key national waterways.

Approximately $55.19b (₹498) crore has been invested in the National National Waterway (NW)-2 (Brahmaputra River) from 2020 to 2025 to fund various projects.

Major projects include construction of the Bogibeel and Jogighopa terminals, tourist jetties at Bogibeel and Pandu, regular fairway development works, and installation of navigational aids for smooth shipping and navigation.

Construction of a ship repair facility at Pandu and an elevated road connecting National Highway 27 with Pandu Port has also been taken up at a cost of $46.4b (₹419 crore).

The NW-16 (Barak River) has also been poured $14.91 (₹134.72 crore) in funding from 2020.

Key projects include upgrades of terminals at Badarpur and Karimganj, fairway development, maintenance of navigational aids, procurement of amphibian dredgers, etc.

The NW-57 (Kopili River) has been operationalised with the movement of 300 metric tonnes of cement from Chandrapur (Kamrup) to Hatsingimari (South Salmara–Mankachar).

Under the Central Sector Schemes (CSS) for development of IWT in NER States, projects have been sanctioned for terminal and fairway development, as well as for procurement of small passenger vessels.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is actively promoting river-cruise tourism in the NER.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), an autonomous organisation under MoPSW, is developing dedicated cruise terminals on NW-2. Locations earmarked for development of cruise terminals include Guwahati, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat, and Guijan.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), comprising Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, IWAI, and the Inland Water Transport and Tourism Department of the Government of Assam, has taken up the development of a religious tourism circuit.

This will connect seven temples, namely Lachit Ghat, Aswanta Temple Ghat, Doul Govinda Mandir Ghat, Hanuman Mandir Ghat (Uzan Bazar), Umananda Ghat, Pandunath Ghat, and Kamakhya Temple, using suitable vessels under a hop-on hop-off model.