Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, has announced projects worth ₹308 crores for the North East region’s waterways development. He inaugurated passenger-cum-cargo terminals at Bogibeel, Sonamura, and Karimganj & Badarpur, aiming to rejuvenate Inland Water Transport (IWT) for cargo and passenger movement, promoting trade and commerce growth.
The Ports, Shipping & Waterways Minister has laid the foundation for the construction of a Custom Immigration Office in Dhubri and a compound wall for IWAI Jogighopa terminal. The Bogibeel terminal, inaugurated with an investment of nearly 50 crores, will include cargo and passenger berths, internal roads, transit shed, open storage area, truck parking area, and passenger waiting area. The terminal will increase eco-tourism and improve economies of scale for major trade like tea, polymer, coal, and fertiliser.
Construction will start immediately, and an integrated officer for Immigration, Customs & IWAI at Bogibeel is also being constructed at a cost of 18 Crores and a project for bank protection and jetty extension at 12 Cr. Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The Karimganj and Badarpur terminals will also power trade opportunities. All these projects will go a long way towards realising the vision of Narendra Modi ji towards the North east acting as the powerhouse of India’s growth towards becoming Viksit Bharat.”