Lok Sabha Question No. 922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-05
Subject: Development of inland Waterway and Maritime Infrastructure in NER
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 922

ANSWERED ON 05.12.2025

## DEVELOPMENT OF INLAND WATERWAY AND MARITIME INFRASTRUCTURE IN NER

## 922.  SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:

## पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) the details of the utilisation and unused funds from the Rs.5,000 crore investment that was pledged on July  7,  2025  for  the  development  of  inland  waterways  and  maritime infrastructure in the North Eastern Region (NER) under existing Government schemes;
- (b) the current state of all-weather fairway dredging, permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa,  Dhubri,  Bogibeel,  Karimganj  and  Badarpur,  tourist  jetties  at  Dibrugarh, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, Neamati and Guijan and lighthouses at Bogibeel, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat and Pandu including contractors hired and anticipated  timelines of their completion; and
- (c) the details of the 50,000 North East youths who are being trained and placed under the Maritime Skill Development Centres (Guwahati) and Centre of Excellence (Dibrugarh) along with the number of youths who have received training so far and are employed in the maritime industry and those remaining in the pipeline?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a) The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), an autonomous organization under the  Ministry  of  Ports,  Shipping  and  Waterways  (MoPSW),  has  identified  works  worth approximately Rs.5,000  crore  for  development  of  Inland  Water  Transport  (IWT) infrastructure in North Eastern Region (NER) during 2025-2030. Out of Rs.5000 crore, currently, the works amounting to Rs.975 crore are at various stages of implementation. For implementation of the other projects, Feasibility Study Report (FSR)/Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared by IWAI.
- (b) The dredging work for assured depth of 2.5m in the navigational channel for the stretch between  Bangladesh Border to Pandu (Guwahati) in National Waterway (NW-2) and

dredging work for maintenance of assured depth of 2.0m in the stretch between Bhanga and Badarpur in  NW-16 (Barak River), have been assigned to Dredging Corporation of India  (DCI).  In  other  parts  of  NW-2  and  NW-16,  IWAI  is  maintaining  fairway  with departmental  dredgers  and  river  conservancy  works.  Cargo  terminals  at  Pandu  and Dhubri are already operational. The new terminals at Jogighopa and Bogibeel have been completed. Karimganj and Badarpur terminals have been upgraded. DPR's for new tourist jetties at Silghat, Biswanath, Neamati and Guijan have been prepared by M/s Indian Port Rail  &  Ropeway  Corporation  Ltd.  (IPRCL).  Directorate  General  of  Lighthouses  and Lightships (DGLL) has been entrusted the work of construction of Lighthouses along NW2 by April 2026.

(c)  IWAI  has  developed  Maritime  Skill  Development  Centre  (MSDC)  at  Guwahati  for training and capacity building in maritime sector in the NER with faculty from National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI), Patna. So far, 635 Inland Vessel crew members have been given training in accordance with Inland Vessels Act, 2021. The trained crews are engaged in IWT sector. Also, other training courses have been identified for development with the support of industry experts to enhance the skills of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) students in maritime field.

Further, a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel (Dibrugarh) for the aspirants of NER is at the proposal stage and IWAI has prepared the DPR through M/s IPRCL.

*****