Center to provide an extra Rs 1,000 crore to Northeastern waterways projects: Sonowal

According to Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the Center will spend an extra Rs 1,000 crore on inland waterways projects in Assam and the Northeast in 2026. Together with senior representatives from the ministry, the Public Works Department (PWD), the Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL), the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) Minister examined the ongoing projects in Assam and the Northeast.

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.