In order to improve the Bogibeel region near Dibrugarh in Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, on Monday unveiled a number of projects.
At Bogibeel and Gujjan, the minister lay the first stone for the construction of two floating jetties. He also opened the passenger jetty on the Bogibeel Riverfront.
The two floating jetties in the districts of Bogibeel in Dibrugarh and Guijan in Tinsukia will be built as cutting-edge terminals employing the most recent and cutting-edge technologies. They are being built by IWAI over the Brahmaputra River’s National Waterway 2 (NW-2).
Coastal Consolidated Structures Pvt. Ltd. has been given the job under an EPC contract (engineering, procurement, construction).
They are expected to be constructed for an estimated 8.25 crores and should be finished by February 2023.
The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) is building the Bogibeel Riverfront Passenger Jetty as part of riverfront construction close to the Bogibeel bridge.
On the riverfront property, there are plans to build an open platform, a restaurant, eight bio-toilets, and six awnings. The entire building is supported by rail columns and an angle frame with WPC board flooring.
The project is expected to cost 2.5 crores. Under this project, 3,560 square meters will be developed altogether.
The construction of the riverside has continued since a conference at the Bogibeel with the goal of turning the area into a popular tourist destination.
“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. Our government is also identifying avenues to promote inland navigation, river cruise tourism, and construction of suitable terminals across the Brahmaputra.”
He 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. “This is going to usher in a novel opportunity for people of Assam to use inland waterways to promote their trade & livelihood in tourism and cargo transportation.”
Speaking at the occasion, the minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition is to utilize inland waterways as a logistics route that is both economically and environmentally sound. The key we are employing to harness the enormous potential of inland water transportation in Assam using National Waterways 2 and our river Brahmaputra is the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
In addition to the floating jetties, plans call for ferry ghats, floating restaurants, public food stands, tourist attractions, picnic areas, and eco retreats.
For the transportation of cargo from nearby enterprises, such as Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Limited, Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corp, etc., a permanent cargo terminal at Bogibeel is also being built.
A detailed project report (DPR) is in the process of creation. The Guijan Ghat neighborhood’s proposed tourism port is situated along the banks of the Lohit River.
The Project Influence Area (PIA) for the Bogibeel terminal is located in the upper portion of Assam, where Dibrugarh is located. It includes the districts of Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and some of Nagaland.
