By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 21: Meghalaya’s stunning Umiam Lake and the Umngot River are finally on course to become fully operational national waterways, with Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) now being readied by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
The breakthrough came during a high-level review meeting in Guwahati chaired by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, where IWAI inked a flurry of agreements worth a massive ₹3,000 crore to turbocharge inland water transport, cargo movement and river tourism across the Northeast.
Umngot River – already declared National Waterway-106 – and the iconic Umiam Lake have been prioritised for passenger ferries, eco-friendly tourism boats and sustainable water mobility, promising a new chapter for the state’s tourism and local economy.
Speaking on the development, officials said the projects will seamlessly link Meghalaya to the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route and the national inland waterways grid, opening cheaper and greener logistics options for the entire region.
Other major highlights from the meeting include a ₹500-crore MoU with Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd for luxury cruise vessels on Brahmaputra and other rivers; a ₹1,000-crore partnership with Rhenus Logistics to deploy modern tug-barges on Ganga–Brahmaputra; allocation of ₹299 crore for new cruise terminals at Neamati, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan (Assam); a ₹188 crore Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh and ₹55 crore for development of a key land parcel in Guwahati.
