Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 8 (HBTV): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday announced a series of major initiatives to boost the waterways and maritime sector in the Northeast, stating that the Modi government has earmarked an investment of INR 5,000 crore for this purpose.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Sonowal said that over the past 11 years, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has transformed India’s maritime sector through record growth in cargo handling, port capacity, and coastal shipping. He noted that major ports have nearly doubled their capacity, cruise tourism is expanding with new terminals, and 50,000 youth from the Northeast will be trained for maritime employment.

He added that key legislative and digital reforms, green shipping initiatives, and strategic infrastructure projects like the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project are significantly strengthening regional connectivity and trade. India’s ports, he said, are now globally competitive, with nine ranked among the World Bank’s top 100 ports, and Visakhapatnam Port placed among the top 20.

Underlining the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonowal said, ‘We have revitalised India's maritime sector as never before. From historic growth in port capacity and cargo handling to pioneering green shipping, cruise tourism and skill development for our youth — these achievements reflect the Modi government's unwavering commitment to make India a global maritime powerhouse and to drive inclusive development across every coastal and riverine region.’

The Union Minister announced that the government aims to train 50,000 youth from the Northeast over the next decade through facilities such as the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and the upcoming Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh, which is being developed at an investment of INR 200 crore. Both centres are expected to generate 500 jobs annually.

He said the Ministry has already undertaken projects worth INR 1,000 crore in the inland waterways sector in the Northeast in the past two years. Of this, works worth INR 300 crore have been completed and INR 700 crore is expected to be completed by 2025.

Major initiatives under this effort include the construction of permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur; all-weather fairway dredging; a new approach road to Pandu Port; heritage restoration in Dibrugarh; tourist jetties worth INR 299 crore; skill development centres in Guwahati and Dibrugarh; and lighthouses at Bogibeel, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat and Pandu. Feasibility studies for cruise vessel operations in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh have been completed, and vessels are being procured under central schemes. For Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, efforts are underway to expand inland water transport infrastructure and promote water-based tourism.

Responding to a query on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), Sonowal said the project, a product of the India–Myanmar Friendship Treaty, is expected to be fully operational by 2027. He described it as a strategic initiative to enhance connectivity between India's Northeast and Myanmar. He explained that the port at Sittwe in Myanmar connects to Paletwa via inland waterways, and then to Zorinpui in Mizoram by road. Goods from Kolkata can be shipped to Sittwe Port, then to Teknaf Port in Bangladesh, which is 60 nautical miles away, and from there transported to Sabroom in Tripura, which lies just 300 km away. Sabroom has an integrated customs checkpoint with Bangladesh. This multimodal connectivity, Sonowal said, will reduce transportation time and cost, especially for states like Tripura. He noted that major exports from Myanmar include rice, timber, fish, seafood, petroleum products, and garments, while major imports include cement, steel, and other construction materials.

Sonowal further said that 100 barges, operated by a global logistics major, will be deployed on National Waterways 2 and 16 by 2025 to enhance cargo movement. To ensure navigability throughout the year, the ministry plans to deploy 10 amphibian and cutter section dredgers at a cost of INR 610 crore.

The Minister also announced plans to build 85 community jetties across the Northeast to improve local connectivity. He said, ‘To unlock the true economic potential of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, we are investing INR 610 crore to deploy 10 state-of-the-art dredgers, ensuring all-weather navigability. This will transform cargo movement, create new trade routes, and strengthen economic linkages across Assam and the entire Northeast. By combining this with 100 modern barges from the global logistics firm Rhenus, and 85 community jetties, we aim to build an integrated and sustainable waterways network that empowers local communities and drives growth.’

Highlighting further investments in tourism and regional trade, Sonowal said that INR 300 crore will be used to build new tourism and cargo jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan. Water Metro projects are also being planned in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh, with feasibility studies already completed.

He concluded by announcing the development of lighthouses equipped with IMD centres at Pandu, Tezpur, Biswanath and Bogibeel with support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. ‘These projects reflect our commitment to transform the Northeast into a major hub of waterways-based trade, tourism and employment, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development,’ he said.

(ANI)