The Centre is intensifying efforts to convert the Brahmaputra into a significant economic and connectivity corridor for the Northeast. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted an integrated river development strategy at the High Powered Review Board meeting of the Brahmaputra Board in Guwahati. This strategy encompasses transport, trade, tourism, and scientific river basin management.
Sonowal emphasized that the Brahmaputra is not just a river but a crucial national asset with the potential to boost economic growth and regional connectivity in the Northeast. He underlined the importance of inland waterways as an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective mode of transportation that can enhance connectivity and commerce in the region.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India is actively enhancing the Brahmaputra, designated as National Waterway-2, to enhance cargo movement and passenger connectivity via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. Projects totaling around Rs 751 crore have already been completed in Assam, including terminals at Pandu, Dhubri, and Jogighopa, along with floating jetties and upgraded shore infrastructure.
Works exceeding Rs 1,100 crore are presently in progress, focusing on fairway development on the Brahmaputra, ship repair facilities, tourist jetties, and a Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh. The government plans to invest approximately Rs 4,800 crore in inland waterways infrastructure across the Northeast over the next five years. This investment will cover projects like community jetties, cruise terminals, dredgers, cargo vessels, and urban water transport systems to enhance last-mile connectivity and logistics efficiency in riverine areas.
