Assam Adventurer Shekhar Bordoloi plans solo bamboo raft expedition down the Brahmaputra

Assam-based adventurer Shekhar Bordoloi is set to undertake a solo bamboo raft expedition along the Brahmaputra River, from Zero Point beneath the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge to the India-Bangladesh border, in an initiative aimed at promoting eco-tourism and sustainable livelihoods for riverbank communities.

According to a press release issued on October 31, the expedition was formally flagged off at Zero Point near Saikhowa Ghat, while Bordoloi’s river journey was scheduled to begin on November 1. He aims to complete the approximately 22-day journey at Dhubri.

The planned route includes several major river ghats, including Dibrugarh, Nimati Ghat, Silghat and Guwahati, before reaching Dhubri.

Bordoloi has previously completed multi-person bamboo raft expeditions along the Brahmaputra in 2015, 2020 and 2024. The upcoming journey marks his first solo attempt, according to the release.

Beyond the personal challenge, the expedition aims to identify potential river tourism corridors and demonstrate how responsible river travel could create livelihood opportunities for communities living along the Brahmaputra.

Speaking about the initiative, Bordoloi said the expedition was intended to highlight the untapped potential of the river and bring attention to communities along its banks. He said developing local river tourism could help villages generate sustainable sources of income.

Bordoloi is a mountaineer, expedition leader and Trekmonk athlete with experience in high-altitude mountaineering and adventure sports. According to his profile shared with the release, he has reached an altitude of 8,350 metres on Mount Kanchenjunga and summited several other Himalayan peaks above 6,000 metres.

The expedition is being presented as an effort to combine adventure with the promotion of community-based eco-tourism along one of Northeast India's major river systems.