Guwahati: Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mansukh L Mandaviya and Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal held a discussion on Thursday, with the objective to better the water transport in Brahmaputra and Barak rivers for better trade and commerce. The discussion was held between the ministers through virtual mode.
CM Sonowal focused on the restrengthening the existing transport facilities and utilising the fullest potential of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.
It was found out through the discussion that the Central Government is likely to undertake a Rs 3,000 crore project to improve the water transportation in Brahmaputra and Bark rivers, are the National Waterways-2 and 16, respectively. This will boost trade in the entire northeastern region.
An official statement said, "During the discussion, the Union Minister shared a detailed framework of a nearly Rs 3,000 crore project for improving navigability, transportation, trade and commerce of the rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, the national waterways two and 16."
The proposed project would enhance the institutional capacity and existing framework of water transportation in the Barak and Brahmaputra rivers to achieve success in trade and commerce.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this project to develop Assam and other northeastern states would cover all the critical areas like development of passenger and cargo terminals, multimodal logistic hubs with last-mile connectivity, and construction of new jetties.
CM Sonowal has ensured total cooperation from the government of Assam in this multi-crore project. He said that once the entire project is implemented, an 891-km stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri, and Barak will see a new transformation in providing gateways to the nearby countries. This will further lead to the success of 'Act-East Policy.'