IWAI Signs Key MoUs to Boost Assam Waterways

GUWAHATI-  The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at expanding Assam’s inland waterway network and strengthening industrial logistics across the Northeast. The agreements—one with Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APL) and another with the Government of Assam—were announced during a comprehensive review meeting chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal.

The MoU with Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. focuses on transporting methanol and formalin through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) and National Waterways, enabling exports from IWAI terminals at Bogibeel, Pandu and Jogighopa. The arrangement is expected to enhance APL’s export capacity while also strengthening domestic supply chains via National Waterways–1 and 2. APL currently produces 1.98 lakh MT of Methanol and 1.15 lakh MT of Formalin annually. The initiative, with an investment of ₹400 crore, includes procurement of specialised tanker vessels and logistics infrastructure.

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IWAI will provide technical and operational services, including terminal facilities, navigation support, bunkering systems and firefighting arrangements. It will also facilitate the development of ten flat-bottom tanker barges of 500–1,000 MT capacity. APL will manage vessel operations, logistics coordination and statutory clearances.

The second MoU between IWAI and the Government of Assam focuses on developing Urban Water Transport (UWT) systems, or Water Metros, in Tezpur, Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The project, estimated to cost ₹1,000 crore, aims to build a modern river-based mobility network integrated with existing road, rail and bus links. The system will include hybrid-electric boats, fairways, navigation aids and passenger terminals. A feasibility study is currently underway by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd.

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During the review meeting at the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC), progress on 15 major inland waterway projects and 10 Central Sector Scheme (CSS) projects across Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh was assessed. Two new CSS proposals—one each in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh—were also taken up.

IWAI also signed an MoU with Heritage River Journeys Pvt. Ltd. worth ₹500 crore to expand cruise tourism on the Brahmaputra and adjoining waterways. Another MoU with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) will support the development of river lighthouses at Bogibeel, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat and Pandu to improve navigation safety and tourism potential.

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A major investment of ₹1,000 crore through an MoU with Rhenus Logistics will enable induction of modern tug-barge fleets on the Ganga and Brahmaputra. IWAI has also earmarked ₹299 crore for developing cruise terminals at Neamati, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan, apart from plans for a Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh valued at ₹188 crore.

Sonowal said the projects demonstrate the Centre’s commitment to modernising the Northeast through multimodal connectivity. “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are transforming inland waterways into engines of growth, trade and sustainability,” he said.

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Beyond Assam, IWAI reviewed ongoing projects across multiple Northeastern states:

• Mizoram: IWT infrastructure projects underway on the Tlawng and Chhimtuipui rivers, and a major terminal development at Khawthlangtuipui–Tuichawng.
• Nagaland: DPRs being prepared for Doyang Lake and tourism infrastructure at Noune and Shilloi Lakes.
• Manipur: Proposed feasibility studies for IWT development on the Barak, Imphal and Nambul rivers.
• Meghalaya: DPRs for Umiam Lake and the Umngot River.
• Tripura: A ₹24.53-crore project to link the Gumti River with the Meghna system in Bangladesh, plus studies for cruise services on Dumbur Lake.
• Arunachal Pradesh: A proposal for IWT terminals and vessels on the Siang River, with focus on passenger mobility and tourism.

Sonowal said the Centre aims to invest more than ₹5,000 crore in the region’s inland waterway development in the coming years, emphasising its potential for trade, tourism and regional integration. “The Northeast is entering a new era of connectivity and economic resurgence powered by our rivers,” he added.

The series of MoUs and project reviews highlight an ambitious roadmap for positioning Assam and the Northeast as a major hub of inland waterway logistics and river-based tourism.