Rs.239cr ship repair facility at Pandu in progress
Assam’s jetties and terminals — including Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj and Badarpur — have emerged as critical hubs for cross-border trade through India’s inland waterways, particularly in the Northeast, and are unlocking major economic opportunities as well as strengthen the petroleum supply chain and export routes to Bangladesh and Southeast Asia https://www.commerce.gov.in/.
“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,” the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said at an international conference on 20 Nov.
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 https://www.bseindia.com/.
A Rs.239 crore ship repair facility at Pandu is under development, expected to significantly reduce maintenance costs for river vessels that currently travel to Kolkata through Bangladesh for repairs, he said in an update on development in the North East region.
Speaking at the North East Oil & Gas Conclave 2025, 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 https://www.nseindia.com/.
“Year-round navigation ensured through extensive dredging and fairway maintenance enables uninterrupted movement of heavy cargo for refinery, exploration and downstream industries,” he told delegates at the conclave.
“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,” underlined Sonowal, pointing out that annual cargo movement on NW-2 is now approaching 6 lakh tonnes, driven by faster turnaround and reliable navigation https://shipmin.gov.in/.
Meanwhile, investments are also being directed toward modern river-based tourism infrastructure, lighthouse development, and skill and training facilities.
A Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh, being built at a cost of Rs.188 crore, will train nearly 5,000 students in maritime skills and logistics operations, he informed the delegates.
The Minister underscored that Inland Waterways are central to India’s Act East Policy and the country’s goal of building a future-ready logistics ecosystem. “Our efforts are aimed at reducing logistics costs, boosting trade, and creating new employment and industrial opportunities. The Northeast is ready to lead India into a new era of connectivity, sustainability and prosperity,” Sonowal said.
Sonowal noted that a number of major projects have been undertaken for the Northeast by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in the past few years.
He said that 76 national waterways will become operational by 2027, he added.
Cargo movement on national waterways reached an all-time high of 146 million tonnes last year, compared to just 18 million tonnes earlier.
During India Maritime Week 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India signed MoUs worth Rs.40,000 crore to enhance the efficiency of waterborne logistics.
He added that the unprecedented increases — 767% in operational waterways, 635% in cargo volume, 233% in investment and 62% in multimodal terminals — reflect remarkable progress in the inland waterways sector.
He called on the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the conclave organizers, for deeper collaboration between government and industry to accelerate private participation, innovation and infrastructure development in the energy and transport sectors. fiinews.com
