Assam: Tourist-cum-Cargo IWT Terminal worth Rs 46.6 crore to be developed at Bogibeel

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) terminal to be developed at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh by the bank of the River Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2).
 
The tourist-cum-cargo IWT terminal will be developed at Rs 46.60 crores and is scheduled to be completed by February 2024. 

Once developed, this terminal is likely to play a pivotal role in rejuvenating inland waterways transportation in the region for both cargo and passenger movement, paving the way for the growth of trade & commerce.
 
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “It is a momentous day for the people of Assam as we move towards rejuvenating inland waterways transport in the region by further bolstering the capital infrastructure at Bogibeel.

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The new terminal will help us realise the vision set by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, towards enablement of waterways transportation as a transformational factor. We must respect & honour the immense potential of ‘Mahabahu Brahmaputra’ and utilise it in the best possible way to further efficient development & progress without alluding to any ecological or economic cost. Given the historical role that Dibrugarh played as the hub of inland waterways in the past, I believe that this modern terminal at Bogibeel will act as a catalyst towards reclaiming the lost glory of Dibrugarh as a major commercial hub and become a harbinger of growth for upper Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland in the days to come.” 
 
The IWT terminal, under the aegis of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for inland waterways of the 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 & passenger berths, approach & other internal roads, a transit shed, open storage area, a 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 and Nagaland in terms of cargo as well as passenger transportation. It will also lead to an increase in eco-tourism and ease the movement of EXIM cargo with comparatively lower transportation costs vis-a-vis others.
 
Considering the growing popularity of inland waterways as an economical and efficient mode of transportation, other new industries like food processing, pharmaceuticals, cement etc, may come up in the region while further improving the economies of scale for existing major trade like tea, polymer, coal, fertiliser etc. The modern terminal is also likely to play a crucial role as a harbinger of growth for the tourism sector, with major destinations like Sibsagar, Majuli, Itanagar, Ziro Valley, Pasighat, Roing, and Tawang Valley.