Northeast Waterways Get ₹1,000 Crore Boost

The Central Government has committed an additional ₹1,000 crore for Inland Waterways development in Assam and the Northeast by 2026. This announcement was made by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, during a project review meeting at the Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati. Officials from IWAI, PWD, IPRCL, and CSL were present.

This new funding supplements ongoing projects worth ₹1,000 crore in the region—₹300 crore of which has already been completed, with the remaining ₹700 crore expected to be finished by 2025.

The focus is on enhancing infrastructure along National Waterways 2 and 16 — the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers — including construction of terminals, deployment of passenger vessels, and upskilling of local talent in maritime operations.

The review also included discussion of the proposed Inland Water Transport (IWT) project at Doyang Lake and potential tourism initiatives at Noune and Shilloi lakes in Nagaland. Feasibility studies are underway on several rivers in Mizoram and Meghalaya, such as the Tiawng, Chhimtuipui, Umiam Lake, and the Ummgot River (NW-106).

News by Rahul Yelligetti.