In a major push to enhance connectivity and logistics in the Northeast, the Government of India is investing ₹5,000 crore ($583.1 million) to develop inland water transport (IWT) infrastructure in the region. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, announced the initiative, highlighting the Centre’s focused efforts to unlock the region’s trade potential and improve regional integration.
Over the past two years, the Ministry has already initiated projects worth ₹1,000 crore ($116.6 million), of which ₹300 crore ($35 million) worth of work has been completed. The remaining ₹700 crore ($81.6 million) is expected to be completed by 2025.
Key Highlights:
- Massive ₹5,000 Cr investment to develop Northeast’s waterways sector.
- ₹1,000 Cr projects already underway; ₹300 Cr completed and ₹700 Cr to be completed by 2025.
- Permanent cargo terminals planned at:
- Pandu
- Jogighopa
- Dhubri
- Bogibeel
- Karimganj
- Badarpur
- Infrastructure upgrades include:
- Year-round fairway dredging
- Year-round fairway dredging
- Tourist jetties worth ₹299 Cr ($23.3M)
- Heritage restoration in Dibrugarh
- Expansion of IWT in Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura with a focus on water-based tourism.
- Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) is being leveraged to:
- Create new trade corridors
- Bypass the congested Siliguri Corridor
- Boost regional trade under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision
This renewed focus on inland waterways aligns with India’s broader push to modernize multi-modal transport, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen border trade with Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.
