Revamped Inland Waterways to unlock major economic opportunities in northeast

New Delhi, Nov 21 The Inland Waterways sector today stands as the backbone of energy transportation for the northeast, reinforcing India’s energy security and unlocking new trade corridors, according to Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.

He said the rapid modernisation of India’s inland waterways, particularly in the northeast, is set to unlock major economic opportunities and strengthen the petroleum supply chain and export routes connecting Assam to Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.

Sonowal said that annual cargo movement on NW-2 is now approaching 6 lakh tonnes, driven by faster turnaround and reliable navigation.

“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the renewed focus on Inland Water Transport (IWT) has enabled smooth and swift cargo movement, reduce logistics costs and provide a reliable multimodal network for the movement of petroleum products and industrial cargo across the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems,” said the minister at the ‘North East Oil and Gas Conclave 2025’.

“This has not only revived one of the oldest and proven conduits of economic prosperity but also repurposed the economic activity and prosperity in the hinterland of the region,” the minister noted.

The minister said that jetties and terminals in Assam — including Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur — have emerged as critical hubs for cross-border trade. These river terminals facilitate the export of petroleum products and large industrial consignments to Bangladesh and onward destinations, cutting transit distance, travel time and fuel consumption compared to road transport.

Sonowal highlighted that the transport of over-dimensional cargo (ODC) to Numaligarh Refinery for its expansion, and the ongoing movement of petroleum products using river routes, have demonstrated the operational efficiency and scalability of waterways as a long-term logistics solution.

Year-round navigation ensured through extensive dredging and fairway maintenance enables uninterrupted movement of heavy cargo for refinery, exploration and downstream industries.

The minister said the government has undertaken Rs 1,000 crore worth of inland waterway projects in the northeast in the past two years, including permanent cargo terminals, ship repair facilities, tourist jetties and urban water transport systems.

Sonowal noted that a number of major projects have been undertaken for the northeast by the ministry in the past few years. He said that 76 national waterways will become operational by 2027.

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