Shipping minister launches multiple development projects in Assam

GUWAHATI: Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal who on Tuesday launched multiple projects for the development of the Bogibeel region near Dibrugarh in Assam announced that his ministry is working on starting India’s largest river cruise service early next year between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Bogibeel in Assam.

Informing that the route will connect rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra through Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBRP), Mr Sonowal said that the service will facilitate an opportunity for the people of Assam to use inland waterways for promoting their trade, tourism and cargo transportation.

The minister of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) while launching multiple projects for the development of the area in and around the Bogibeel bridge also laid foundation stone for the construction of floating jetties at Bogibeel and Guijan, besides inaugurating the Bogibeel Riverfront Passenger Jetty which has been built by the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) as part of the development initiatives near the bridge.

Mr Sonowal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to harness the potential of an economical and ecologically sound logistics avenue of inland waterways is being realised through the Gati Shakti National Master plan.

“The Gati Shakti plan is exactly the key to unlock the huge potential of inland water transportation in Assam using National Waterways 2 on our river Brahmaputra. We must tap this opportunity and build an economic advantage which will empower the whole of Northeast India as the New Engine of growth for India,” he said.

He said that his government was also identifying avenues to promote inland navigation, river cruise tourism, and construct suitable terminals across the Brahmaputra, he maintained.

The two floating jetties at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district and Guijan in Tinsukia will be constructed as state-of-art terminals, using advanced and updated technology.

The work has been awarded to Coastal Consolidated Structures Pvt. Ltd on an EPC contract mode (engineering, procurement, construction). The two jetties are estimated to be built at a cost of ₹ 8.25 crores and are scheduled to be completed by February 2023, he said. 

The union minister said that in addition to the floating jetties, his ministry was also preparing a detailed plan for Ferry Ghats, floating restaurants, public eating stalls, tourist visits, picnic spots, eco-resorts etc. He said that his ministry was also planning to set up a permanent cargo terminal at Bogibeel for conducive transport of cargo from the neighbouring industries like Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corp etc.