DPRs to develop IWT infrastructure at Umiam lake, Umngot river in process
Guwahati, Nov 21: Inland water transport in the North East is set for a massive transformation as the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on Friday signed several high-value MoUs worth around Rs 3,000 crore with different entities, including government agencies, of the region.
The agreements announced after a review meeting chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, marked a significant stride toward transforming the Brahmaputra and the region’s river systems into engines of trade, mobility, and tourism.
The MoUs signed with Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd., Government of Assam, and multiple private partners, aim at strengthening cargo movement, unlock urban water mobility, and expand river tourism across Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
The IWAI has also started work on accelerating inland water transport projects with different state governments.
Meanwhile, in Meghalaya, DPRs are under way for developing IWT infrastructure on Umiam Lake and the Umngot River (NW-106).
The first MoU, signed with Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd, enables large-scale transportation of Methanol and Formalin via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route and National Waterways.
Exports will move through IWAI terminals at Bogibeel, Pandu, and Jogighopa to Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, while domestic cargo will leverage NW-1 and NW-2.
APL, which produces 1.98 lakh MT of Methanol and 1.15 lakh MT of Formalin annually, will benefit from Rs 400 crore worth of tanker vessels and logistics infrastructure.
IWAI will provide terminal operations, navigation support, bunkering and firefighting systems, and assist in constructing 10 flat-bottom tanker barges.
A second MoU with the Government of Assam paves the way for an Urban Water Transport (UWT) system—Water Metro—for Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh.
The Rs 1,000-crore project will integrate river corridors with road, rail, and bus networks using electric-hybrid boats. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd is conducting the feasibility study.
In the tourism sector, a Rs 500-crore MoU with Heritage River Journeys Pvt. Ltd. will induct new cruise vessels and expand operations on national waterways.
IWAI and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships will also develop river lighthouses at Bogibeel, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, and Pandu as navigation aids and heritage tourism sites.
Another Rs 299 crore has been earmarked for cruise terminals at Neamati, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan.
A landmark Rs 1,000-crore MoU with Rhenus Logistics will introduce modern tug-barges on the Ganga and Brahmaputra, boosting multimodal cargo capacity.
A Regional Centre of Excellence will be developed in Dibrugarh for Rs 188 crore, along with a Rs 55-crore project for developing strategic land in Guwahati.
Across the Northeast, IWAI is accelerating Inland Water Transport (IWT) projects:
– In Mizoram, studies are under way on the Tlawng and Chhimtuipui rivers.
– In Nagaland, DPRs are being prepared for Doyang Lake and for tourism at Noune and Shilloi Lakes.
– In Manipur, DPRs are being proposed for the Barak, Imphal, and Nambul rivers.
– Similar projects are advancing in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
Sonowal said these projects reflect the Modi government’s commitment to reviving river-based connectivity and integrating the Northeast more closely with national and global markets.
“We aim to invest more than Rs 5,000 crores in IWT development in the coming years. Our waterways are becoming a lifeline of opportunity for the people of the Northeast,” he said.
