Sarbananda Sonowal Highlights Northeast India’s Waterways Potential
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, spoke about the significant potential of northeast India’s waterways and the government’s commitment to their development. He stated, “We are here to develop the waterways for the seamless movement of our vessels. Nagaland, along with other states in the northeast, are highly potentially powerful states in terms of National Waterways and also water bodies.”
Sonowal mentioned that there are 101 waterways linking India with Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal. He added, “Considering all the available resources, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, & Waterways is taking a lot of initiative in the entire region to give access to the stakeholders and to draw the attention of people from all over the world to the potential in our waterways.”
The minister highlighted that waterways are the most economical, sustainable, and efficient mode of transportation. He said, “Under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi ji, our government has been working towards enabling our rich resource pool in the country to escalate the growth trajectory of India to become one of the fifth largest economies in the world in less than a decade.”
Sonowal emphasized the role of the Northeast as a growth engine for India, stating, “The complex and dynamic mix of waterways in the Northeast provides us with an excellent opportunity to build momentum for the nation. We remain firmly committed and on track to provide impetus for the development of the waterways of the region.”
In June, Sonowal visited the Noida Head Office of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and was briefed about the status of the 111 National Waterways in the country. He praised efforts to promote river cruise tourism and recent initiatives like the introduction of Hybrid Electric Catamaran vessels and the country’s first Hydrogen Vessel.
