Revamped Inland Waterways to Boost Northeast Growth and Petroleum Exports: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted the transformative impact of India’s inland waterways on the Northeast’s economy, emphasising their role in strengthening petroleum exports and regional trade.

Speaking at the North East Oil & Gas Conclave 2025, Sonowal said, “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the renewed focus on Inland Water Transport (IWT) has enabled smooth and swift cargo movement, reduced logistics costs, and provided a reliable multimodal network for petroleum products and industrial cargo across the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems.”

The Minister noted that river terminals in Assam, including Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj, and Badarpur, have emerged as critical hubs for cross-border trade, facilitating exports to Bangladesh and Southeast Asia while cutting transit distance, travel time, and fuel consumption compared to road transport.

Highlighting operational efficiency, Sonowal said the transport of overdimensional cargo to Numaligarh Refinery and the ongoing movement of petroleum products demonstrate the waterways’ scalability as a long-term logistics solution. Year-round navigation ensured through dredging and fairway maintenance allows uninterrupted movement of heavy cargo for refinery, exploration, and downstream industries.

“The Inland Waterways sector today stands as the backbone of energy transportation for the Northeast, reinforcing India’s energy security and unlocking new trade corridors,” Sonowal said. He added that annual cargo movement on National Waterway-2 is approaching six lakh tonnes, driven by faster turnaround and reliable navigation.

The government has invested ₹1,000 crore in inland waterway projects in the Northeast over the past two years, including permanent cargo terminals, ship repair facilities, tourist jetties, and urban water transport systems. A ₹239 crore ship repair facility at Pandu is under development, expected to significantly reduce maintenance costs for river vessels currently sent to Kolkata via Bangladesh.

Investments are also being made in river-based tourism infrastructure, lighthouses, and skill development. A Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh, costing ₹188 crore, will train nearly 5,000 students in maritime and logistics operations.

Sonowal emphasised that inland waterways are central to India’s Act East Policy and the vision of a future-ready logistics ecosystem. “Our efforts aim to reduce logistics costs, boost trade, and create new employment and industrial opportunities. The Northeast is ready to lead India into a new era of connectivity, sustainability, and prosperity,” he said.

He noted that 76 national waterways are expected to become operational by 2027. Cargo movement on national waterways reached a record 146 million tonnes last year, up from just 18 million tonnes earlier. During India Maritime Week 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India signed MoUs worth ₹40,000 crore to enhance waterborne logistics efficiency. Operational waterways have increased by 767%, cargo volume by 635%, investment by 233%, and multimodal terminals by 62%, reflecting unprecedented progress.

The Minister thanked the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for organising the conclave and called for stronger collaboration between government and industry to accelerate private participation, innovation, and infrastructure development in the energy and transport sectors.

The event was attended by Assam Minister Kaushik Roy, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Vinod Sesan, and CII Assam Oil and Gas Chair S. K. Baruah, among other dignitaries.

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