Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of an Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) terminal to be developed at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, by the bank of the River Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2), in a programme held at the Khanikar field in Dibrugarh on Tuesday. The tourist-cum- cargo IWT terminal will be developed at a cost of Rs 46.60 crore and is scheduled to be completed by February, 2024. Once developed, this terminal will play a pivotal role in rejuvenating inland waterways transportation in the region for both cargo and passenger movement, paving the way for growth of trade and commerce.
The IWT terminal built under the aegis of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for inland waterways of Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, will have many modern features. The executing agency of the terminal is being done by Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Construction Limited. Some major features include cargo aneld passenger berths, approach and other internal roads, transit shed, open storage area, truck parking area, passenger waiting area among others. The development of the terminal will play a crucial. role in the development of upper Assam and nearby states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland in terms of cargo as well as passenger transportation. It will also lead to increase in eco-tourism, and easing the movement of EXIM cargo with comparatively lower transportation cost among others.
