"Centre to Invest Rs 5,000 Cr to Boost NE Waterways”: Sarbananda Sonowal

In a major push to unlock the economic potential of Northeast India, the Union Government has announced a comprehensive Rs 5,000-crore investment plan to develop the region’s waterways infrastructure. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, made the announcement in Guwahati on Sunday, unveiling a wide range of projects aimed at enhancing cargo movement, promoting riverine tourism, strengthening regional connectivity, and generating maritime employment for local youth.

Addressing the press, Sonowal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre has drawn up a transformative roadmap to integrate the Northeast into India’s larger maritime network. Key highlights include the training of 50,000 youth in maritime skills over the next decade, deployment of 10 state-of-the-art dredgers, development of 85 community jetties, and the upcoming operationalisation of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) by 2027.

Sonowal noted that the government will establish a ₹200-crore Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh, in addition to the existing Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati. Together, these institutions are expected to produce 500 maritime jobs annually, empowering local youth with world-class skills and assured employment opportunities.

The Centre has already undertaken projects worth ₹1,000 crore in the region’s inland waterways sector in the past two years, with ₹300 crore completed and the remaining ₹700 crore scheduled for completion by 2025. These include permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur, along with dredging works, heritage restoration in Dibrugarh, and a new approach road to Pandu Port.

To boost local connectivity, 85 community jetties will be developed across the region. Additionally, a ₹300-crore initiative will set up tourism and cargo jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan. Water Metro projects are also in the pipeline for Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh, with feasibility studies already completed. For enhanced navigation and safety, lighthouses will be established at Pandu, Tezpur, Biswanath, and Bogibeel, each equipped with IMD-supported weather monitoring units.

One of the most strategic announcements was the renewed focus on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, a vital Indo-Myanmar connectivity initiative expected to be fully operational by 2027. Once completed, the project will link Mizoram’s Zorinpui to Myanmar’s Sittwe Port via inland waterways and road, drastically reducing logistics costs and unlocking new trade routes through Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Tripura, in particular, is expected to benefit through faster access via Teknaf Port and the integrated border at Sabroom.

In a move to support year-round cargo navigation, the ministry plans to deploy 10 amphibian and cutter section dredgers at an investment of ₹610 crore. Complementing this, 100 modern barges operated by German logistics major Rhenus will begin operations on National Waterways 2 and 16 by 2025, significantly boosting regional cargo movement.

“These projects reflect our commitment to transform the Northeast into a major hub of waterways-based trade, tourism, and employment,” said Sonowal. “Through the Act East Policy, the Modi government has placed the Northeast at the centre of India’s growth story — no longer landlocked, but linked to the seas and to opportunity.”

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