Major Inland Waterways Push: IWAI Clears Tourism Infra In Northeast, Patna Shipyard, Guwahati Skill Hub And More

At its 198th board meeting held in Delhi, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) approved several strategic proposals aimed at strengthening inland water transport (IWT) infrastructure, particularly in the North Eastern Region (NER).

As part of its Northeast push, the IWAI sanctioned the development of three tourist jetties at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat and Guijan, alongside a tourist-cum-cargo jetty at Neamati in Assam, the official statement said.

These jetties are expected to enhance connectivity across regional and national circuits, while simultaneously facilitating trade and tourism across the NER.

The board also gave the green light to establish a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) in Bogibeel, Dibrugarh.

With a training capacity of 5,396, this facility will serve as a dedicated hub for skilling, research and capacity building in the inland waterways sector.

It aims to address the acute shortage of trained manpower and aligns with the Inland Vessels Act, 2021.

In Guwahati, a 2,154 sq metre land parcel in Fancy Bazar will be developed into a multi-storeyed complex to house the IWAI regional office and the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC), to be executed by IPRCL.

Further, the Board assigned the task of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a proposed ship repair facility at Patna on National Waterway-1 to National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts NTCPWC, IIT Madras.

The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal had announced the setting up of this new facility at Patna on National Waterway-1 during last week’s consultation workshop held in Bihar aiming to boost IWT on River Ganga.

Additionally, approval was granted for a port gate system at Balagarh in West Bengal and for forming an “Indian Waterways Congress” to foster innovation, standardisation and collaboration in the IWT sector.

The board also approved a cadre restructuring report by the National Institute of Smart Government, aimed at strengthening IWAI’s operational capacity.

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