Click it and Unblock the Notifications
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has approved the Government of Assam's proposal to develop 10 waterway projects aimed at connecting seven prominent temples in the the state. These waterways will operate on a "Hop on & Hop off" basis, utilizing vessels of appropriate capacity.
According to the statement given by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in Lok Sabha the project involves the creation of riverine infrastructure along the Brahmaputra River (NW-2), with an investment of ₹645.56 crore under the Sagarmala Scheme. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, has granted in-principle approval for these 10 projects.
Temples to Be Connected via Waterways
1. Kamakhya Temple
2. Pandunath Temple
3. Ashwaklanta Temple
4. Doul Govinda Temple
5. Umananda Temple
6. Chakreshwar Temple
7. Auniati Satra Temple
The waterways will facilitate cargo and passenger movement as well as promote river tourism. Plans include the development of 12 floating terminals, two multimodal terminals at Pandu and Jogighopa, and two permanent terminals at Bogibeel and Dhubri, which will also serve as berthing points for river cruise vessels. A fairway with adequate depth and width will be maintained to ensure smooth navigation of cruise vessels.
Agreement for Riverine Religious Tourism
Minister said that on May 19, 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to implement the "Riverine-Based Religious Tourism Circuit" under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework. The agreement involves Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC), Directorate of Inland Water Transport Assam (DIWT), and Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
IWAI's Role and Future Prospects
IWAI is tasked with developing national waterways for shipping and navigation. While there are currently no plans for water sports along the Brahmaputra, requests from the state government for fairway development for water sports may be considered under the central sector scheme for inland water transport (IWT) infrastructure development in Northeast India.
