Sonowal Unveils Rs 5,000 Crore Plan To Transform Northeast Maritime Sector

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has announced a Rs 5,000 crore push to transform the maritime and inland waterways sectors across the Northeast, pledging significant investments in connectivity, cargo movement, training, and tourism infrastructure.

Speaking at a press conference, Sonowal said, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we have revitalised India’s maritime sector as never before.”

A central element of this vision is training 50,000 youth from the Northeast over the next decade in maritime skills.

The Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati and a Rs 200 crore Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh are set to become the backbone of this effort, with the centres expected to generate around 500 jobs annually.

In the past two years, the ministry has launched projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the Northeast’s inland waterways, including new cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, and other locations; extensive dredging works; heritage restorations; and tourist jetties worth Rs 299 crore.

Sonowal also confirmed progress on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which aims to connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar with Mizoram, offering a crucial trade route bypassing the Siliguri Corridor.

“Once operational, the region will unlock new trade opportunities not just for Northeast India, but also for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar,” he noted.

Further plans include involve introducing 100 barges on NW2 and 16 by 2025, plus 10 dredgers with Rs 610 crore investment to ensure year round navigability of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, as well as constructing 85 community jetties to expand local connectivity.

Sonowal revealed Rs 300 crore will fund new tourism and cargo jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan, while Water Metro projects are being planned for Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh.

Lighthouses equipped with weather monitoring systems are also in the plan to support safer navigation.

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