Modi govt plans Rs 5,000-crore investment to develop Northeast waterways: Union Minister Sonowal

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Union Miniter of Port, Shipping and Waterway, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Monday announced multiple initiative by the Government to boot the waterway and maritime ector in the region. With an invetment of ₹5,000 crore earmarked, the Union Government ha drawn up major initiative in thi regard, a releae from the Minitry of Port, Shipping and Waterway aid.
A per the releae, over the pat 11 year, the Minitry of Port, Shipping, and Waterway (MoPSW) ha tranformed India maritime ector, achieving record growth in cargo handling, capacity, and coatal hipping. Major port have nearly doubled their capacity, and cruie tourim i riing with ambition. New terminal and 50,000 youth from the Northeat will be trained for maritime job.
Key legilative and digital reform, a well a green hipping initiative and project uch a the Kaladan Multi-Modal Tranport Project, are enhancing regional connectivity and trade. India port are now globally competitive, with nine ranking in the World Bank top 100 and Viakhapatnam Port reaching the top 20.
Under the viionary leaderhip of Prime Miniter Narendra Modi ji, we have revitalied India maritime ector a never before. From hitoric growth in port capacity and cargo handling to pioneering green hipping, cruie tourim and kill development for our youth -- thee achievement reflect the Modi government unwavering commitment to make India a global maritime powerhoue and drive incluive development acro every coatal and riverine region, Sarbananda Sonowal aid.
The Union Miniter further tated that the government aim to train 50,000 youth from the region in maritime kill over the next decade, offering them aured employment opportunitie in the growing ector.
The Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati, a well a the upcoming Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh, aim to power thi tranformation. The CoE will be developed with an invetment of ₹200 crore. Both the centre are likely to produce 500 job annually.
The Union Miniter aid, Modi ji ha alway enviioned how Yuva Shakti can bring about real tranformation in the country. Our viion i to train, enable, and empower 50,000 youth from the Northeat with world-cla maritime kill over the next decade, enuring meaningful employment and growth. Our centre in Guwahati & Dibrugarh will be the backbone of thi tranformation.
The Minitry ha undertaken project worth ₹1,000 crore in the Northeat inland waterway ector over the pat two year, with ₹300 crore work completed and ₹700 crore lated for completion by 2025. Major initiative include permanent cargo terminal at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur; year-round fairway dredging; a new approach road to Pandu Port; heritage retoration in Dibrugarh; tourit jettie worth ₹299 crore; kill development centre at Guwahati and Dibrugarh; and plan for lighthoue at Bogibeel, Biwanath Ghat, Silghat and Pandu.
Feaibility tudie have been completed, and it ha been found feaible to operate in Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh. Cruie veel are being procured under central cheme. For Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, effort are underway to expand IWT infratructure and promote water-baed tourim. The operationaliation of the Indo-Bangladeh Protocol Route (IBPR) offer new trade route that bypa the Siliguri Corridor, thereby trengthening regional connectivity and aligning with the broader viion of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Reponding to a query on the tatu of the Kaladan Multimodal Tranit Tranport Project (KMTTP), Sarbananda Sonowal aid, Kaladan Multi-Modal Tranit Tranport Project i the reult of India and Myanmar. Thi i a trategic initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity between India Northeat and Myanmar, and i expected to be fully operational by 2027. Under the viionary leaderhip of Prime Miniter Narendra Modi, the Northeat tand at the heart of Bharat development agenda. Empowered by Modi ji tranformative Act Eat policy, thi once landlocked region i now poied for direct and horter acce to international ea route. The wift execution of the Sittwe Port in Myanmar i a tetament to thi commitment. Once fully operational, the region will unlock new trade opportunitie not jut for Northeat India but alo for Bangladeh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar by connecting them with Southeat Aia. Thi miletone truly embodie Modi ji guiding philoophy of Sabka Saath, SabkaVika -- collective effort for incluive growth.
From Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, the Sittwe port i connected to Paletwa through an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui through a road component. From Sittwe, Myanmar, to Sarboom, Tripura, good from Kolkata to Sittwe Port can be hipped to Teknaf Port, Bangladeh, which i jut 60 nautical mile from Sittwe. From Teknaf Port, good can be tranported by road to Sabroo,m which i 300 km away.
Sabroom ha an integrated cutom border between Bangladeh and Tripura. Sittwe Port and Kaladan Project will immenely benefit Tripura by way of a ignificant reduction in tranportation time and logitic cot. Major cargo for export from Sittwe Port include rice, Timber, Fih and eafood, Petroleum product, and Garment and textile. The major cargo for import at Sittwe Port, i.e., import by Myanmar, include contruction material uch a cement, teel, and brick, among other.
Other key initiative include the deployment of 100 barge operated by a major global company on NW2 & 16 by 2025, intended to enhance cargo movement acro Aam and neighbouring tate ignificantly. To enure round-the-year navigability, the minitry plan to deploy 10 amphibian and cutter ection dredger, backed by an invetment of ₹610 crore. Sonowal alo announced plan to develop 85 community jettie acro the Northeat to improve local connectivity.
Speaking on thi, Sarbananda Sonowal aid, To unlock the true economic potential of the Brahmaputra and Barak river, we are inveting ₹610 crore to deploy 10 tate-of-the-art dredger, enuring all-weather navigability. Thi will tranform cargo movement, create new trade route, and trengthen economic linkage acro Aam and the entire Northeat.
By combining thi with 100 modern barge by global logitic major from Germany, Rhenu, and 85 community jettie, we aim to build an integrated and utainable waterway network that empower local communitie and drive growth, he added.
Highlighting effort to upport tourim and regional trade, Sarbananda Sonowal hared that R 300 crore will be inveted in building new tourim and cargo jettie at Silghat, Neamati, Biwanath Ghat, and Guijan. In a major move toward modern urban tranportation, Water Metro project are planned in Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh, with feaibility tudie already completed. The government will alo et up lighthoue at Pandu, Tezpur, Biwanath, and Bogibeel, each equipped with IMD centre, with upport from the Minitry of Environment, Foret, and Climate Change, Government of India, to provide accurate local weather forecat.
Thee project reflect our commitment to tranform the Northeat into a major hub of waterway-baed trade, tourim and employment, aligned with PM Narendra Modi viion of incluive development, Sonowal aid. (ANI)