India’s Northeast is poised for a watershed transformation as the Centre commits ₹5,000 crore to develop green inland waterway infrastructure over the next five years, with Guwahati and surrounding hubs expected to emerge as key logistics and tourism corridors.
This announcement, made by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during a high-level review in Mumbai, reinforces the region’s strategic importance in India’s decarbonised transport roadmap. As part of the Centre’s broader Maritime India Vision 2030 and the long-term Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, this initiative marks a critical pivot from road-heavy logistics to climate-resilient, low-emission waterborne transport. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is now focused on activating 76 national waterways by 2027, with the goal of moving 156 million tonnes of cargo annually by March 2026—a significant leap from current volumes.
Northeast India, with its vast river networks, sits at the heart of this plan. National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra), 16 (Barak), and 31 (Dhansiri) are already undergoing major upgrades. Permanent terminals at Dhubri, Pandu, Jogighopa, and Bogibeel are being constructed alongside 13 floating terminals to ease cargo movement and passenger transit. A ₹208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu and a ₹180 crore access road are expected to be operational by 2026 and 2025 respectively. Strategically, the upcoming 4,067-km regional waterways grid—linking Varanasi to Dibrugarh, Karimganj, and Badarpur—is designed to integrate riverine logistics with industrial and tourism growth. This includes support for the Numaligarh Refinery expansion through waterway-fed supply chains and updated navigation systems such as the Jangipur lock, which is anticipated to handle over 32 million tonnes of cargo by 2033.
India is also embracing the green transition. The IWAI has begun implementing the Harit Nauka Guidelines, pushing for electric and hydrogen-powered vessels to replace polluting alternatives. Sonowal stressed the need to “future-proof logistics with sustainability at its core,” underscoring a shift towards electric water metros and eco-cruise circuits aimed at both urban commuters and tourists.
Inland cruise tourism is emerging as a growth engine too. With 15 circuits already operational across 13 national waterways, the government plans to develop 51 more circuits by 2027. Terminals at Varanasi, Guwahati, and Silghat are being planned to global standards, with feasibility studies underway for several more. What distinguishes this investment push is its potential to redefine multimodal connectivity across India’s eastern frontier—an area historically underserved in terms of infrastructure. This renewed focus on inland waterways could ease pressure on congested highways, reduce logistics costs, and offer greener alternatives to diesel-based freight movement.
As the region opens up to a new wave of integrated planning, the Northeast may finally find its place as a vital node in India’s green growth journey—one that floats not on fossil fuels, but on flowing rivers.
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