The 198th Board Meeting of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) was held in Delhi, today, where key decisions pertaining to the development of national waterways for advancement of Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector were taken.
For IWT development in the North East, IWAI Board approved the proposal of setting up three tourist jetties in Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat and Guijan and one tourist-cum-cargo jetty in Neamati in Assam. These jetties will help in addressing the growing demand of cargo and passenger/tourist movement by providing improved infrastructure and services in the region. It will offer better connectivity with regional and national tourist circuits through inland waterways and help in stimulating economic growth through trade and tourism-related activities throughout the North Eastern Region (NER).
Further, the IWAI Board approved the proposal of development of Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) in Bogibeel, Dibrugarh in Assam. With a training capacity of 5,396 participants, the proposed centre will serve as a dedicated hub for training, research, and capacity building in the IWT sector. It will address acute shortage of skilled manpower in the north east by offering certified training programs aligned with Inland Vessels Act, 2021
With the aim to further enhance the IWT infrastructure in NER, the Board also approved a proposal to develop a land parcel of approximately 2154 sq mtr in Fancy Bazar, Guwahati through IPRCL (Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd.). The multi-storeyed building, when fully developed by IPRCL, will house IWAI Guwahati Regional Office and the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) along with other important offices.
The IWAI Board entrusted the task of preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the upcoming Ship Repair Facility at Patna, Bihar to NTCPWC (National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts), IIT Madras. The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal had announced the setting up of this new facility at Patna on National Waterway-1 during last week’s consultation workshop held in Bihar aiming to boost IWT on River Ganga.
Besides, the Board approved an extended port gate system set to be developed at Balagarh in West Bengal by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
The Board further decided on setting up Indian Waterway Congress, on the lines of Indian Road Congress, to identify and imbibe best global practices in the waterways sector, promote standardization and deployment of cutting-edge technologies for sustainable growth in IWT sector. The Indian Waterways Congress aims to facilitate deliberations among key stakeholders including government organisations, research institutions and industries, shipping companies, logistics organisations and end-users to ensure advancement of the IWT sector.
Apart from this, the Board also approved cadre review report for restructuring of IWAI by National Institute of Smart Government. This restructuring will prepare IWAI to meet the growing challenges of IWT sector and achieve the targets for enhancing cargo and cruise tourism.
