Guwahati, March 6: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, laid the foundation for four river lighthouses along the banks of the Brahmaputra River on Thursday. This initiative aims to enhance navigation in the country’s inland waterways.
This marks the first instance of establishing lighthouse infrastructure on inland waterways in India.
The ceremony took place at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati, organized jointly by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), both under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
According to the ministry, the four lighthouses will be located at strategic points along the Brahmaputra River (National Waterway-2) in the following districts: Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, Pandu in Kamrup (Metro), Silghat in Nagaon (all on the southern bank), and Bishwanath Ghat in Bishwanath (the only site on the northern bank). The total project cost for these lighthouses is approximately ₹84 crore.
Each lighthouse will stand 20 meters tall, with a geographical range of 14 nautical miles and a light range of 8-10 nautical miles. They will be fully powered by solar energy. In addition to navigation infrastructure, each site will feature a museum, an amphitheater, a cafeteria, a children’s play area, a souvenir shop, and well-organized public spaces, establishing each lighthouse as both a tourist destination and a functional maritime asset.
The operationalization of these river lighthouses on National Waterway-2 is expected to directly result in a 53% increase in freight traffic on the Brahmaputra waterway during the fiscal year 2024-25. Freight traffic on NW-2 has been consistently rising, and the Brahmaputra corridor has become an integral part of the supply chains for Assam’s tea, coal, and fertilizer industries, in addition to passenger and tourism traffic. The new lighthouses will enable safe navigation around the clock, accommodate weather observation sensors, and provide the necessary infrastructure for the sustained increase in the movement of goods and passengers on the river.
Sarbananda Sonowal stated, “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inland waterways are being empowered not only as alternatives to road and rail transport but also as a force multiplier for our economy. The cost of transporting one ton of goods via waterways is significantly lower than road transport, with negligible carbon emissions, allowing our highways to remain free for passengers and timely deliveries. These lighthouses on the Brahmaputra are a testament to the intent that India’s rivers are open for business 24/7.”
The foundation stone-laying ceremony was attended by Assam’s Tourism Minister Ranjit Kumar Das, Transport Minister Chandan Boro, Public Health Engineering Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Guwahati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya. Senior officials, including Vijay Kumar (IAS), Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, and DGLL Director General N. Muruganandam, were also present.
Leave a Comment