Synopsis

The central government will invest more in Northeast waterways. An additional Rs 1,000 crore will be allocated for projects in Assam and the Northeast by 2026. Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed ongoing projects. Projects worth Rs 1,000 crore are already underway in the Northeast. The government focuses on infrastructure along Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.

The Centre will invest an additional Rs 1,000 crore in Inland Waterways projects in Assam and the Northeast in 2026, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Monday.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways,Sarbananda Sonowal during a meeting to review the ongoing projects of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Assam and the Northeast at Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC), in Guwahati on Monday.

The Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Minister on Monday reviewed the ongoing projects in Assam and the Northeast with senior officials from the ministry, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Public Works Department (PWD), Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) .

Sonowal said the government has undertaken projects worth Rs 1,000 crore for NER in the last two years, with Rs 300 crore work completed, and works worth Rs 700 crore slated for completion by 2025.

He also directed officials to hone talent from Assam and the Northeast with Advanced Maritime Skillsets to suit industry needs.

The government is actively developing key infrastructure projects along NW2 (Brahmaputra) and NW16 (Barak), including the construction of passenger vessels of various capacities, terminal facilities, and capacity-building initiatives.

The minister also reviewed progress on the proposed Inland Water Transport (IWT) project at Doyang Lake, and assessed the potential of Noune and Shilloi lakes in Nagaland for water sports and tourism.

Feasibility studies for Inland Water Transport (IWT) development on the Tiawng and Chhimtuipui rivers in Mizoram, as well as on Umiam Lake and the Ummgot River (NW106) in Meghalaya, were also reviewed.

On Barak River (NW16), Sonowal reaffirmed that survey and dredging equipment, and floating terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur projects reflect the central government's commitment to making the Northeast a hub of India's maritime future.