Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday launched multiple projects for the economic development of the Bogibeel region near Dibrugarh in Assam.
The union minister laid the foundation stones for the construction of two floating jetties at Bogibeel and Guijan and also inaugurated the Bogibeel Riverfront Passenger Jetty.
The Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways in a statement said, "The Two floating jetties at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district and Guijan in Tinsukia district will be constructed as state-of-art terminals using the most advanced & updated technology. Both the jetties are being constructed by IWAI over the National Waterways - 2 (NW-2), popularly known as River Brahmaputra."
Further to this development, plans are afoot to construct an Open platform, a restaurant, 8 bio-toilets and 6 awnings as part of the Riverfront site. The entire structure has been constructed over rail columns with an angle frame covered by WPC board floorings. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 2.5 crores.
A total of 3,560 square meters are being developed under this project.
Speaking at the event, Sonowal, said, "The vision of our leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to harness the potential of an economical and ecologically sound logistics avenue of Inland waterways. The PM Gati Shakti National Master plan is exactly the key that we are using here today, to unlock the huge potential of inland water transportation in Assam using National Waterways 2, our river Brahmaputra.”
“We must tap this opportunity and build an economic advantage which will power the whole of Northeast India as the New Engine of growth for India,” he further said.
The Union Minister also added that India's longest river cruise service will begin in early next year between Varanasi and Bogibeel, traversing a distance of more than 4,000 km via Ganga, IBPR and Brahmaputra.
The Project Influence Area (PIA) for Bogibeel terminal is the upper part of Assam which forms the Dibrugarh and encompasses districts of Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and parts of Nagaland.
